


My Mind Still Fears

by katzaren



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Angst, Ben is still figuring things out, Carlos is gay, Coming Out, M/M, Mostly Canon Compliant, Panic Attacks, Slow Burn, benlos will be endgame, post descendants 3
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-29
Updated: 2020-02-08
Packaged: 2021-01-06 06:54:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 47,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21222413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katzaren/pseuds/katzaren
Summary: Ben feels like his whole world has shattered. True love's kiss is a lie. He never loved Mal in the way that mattered, less than a year after their breakup she's already marrying someone else, and he's having to deal with reporters watching his every move.At Mal's wedding, Ben distracts himself by dancing with Carlos and learns some intriguing secrets. Meanwhile reports of a bloodthirsty white wolf prowling Auradon come in...





	1. The Wedding

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the DearDescendants Halloween Week, Day 4 - Werewolves
> 
> Title is from "Running with the Wolves" by AURORA
> 
> This was originally meant to be a one-shot, but the story just kept going. I'll be posting chapters somewhat regularly, so stay tuned for updates!

“I don’t want a big wedding,” Mal said for the umpteenth time.

“The people of Auradon need a big wedding,” Ben argued. “Since we opened the barrier, more people have turned to evil. We need something to unite the kingdom.”

Tears rolled down Mal’s cheeks. Ben brought his thumb up to swipe them away, but Mal took a step back. “No. Stop trying to manipulate me.”

“I’m not.” Ben sighed. Mal was so paranoid. Not that he blamed her. Her mother had used and abused her for years. He was still working hard to show her he was trustworthy.

“Ben, be honest with me. Is our relationship a political move?”

He stared at her in disbelief. “How can you say that?”

“How can I not? Everything we’ve ever done since we got together has furthered your dream of saving the kids from the Isle. Why can’t we have one moment to ourselves?”

“Mal, I’m the king. I’m sorry, but my love life has to be visible.”

She held up a finger. “I’m not finished. Our romantic engagement was one big show that had everyone, minus a few royals, supporting us. And now this wedding will be another big show. I don’t think you really love me, Ben.”

“Of course I love you.”

“Oh, yeah?” She withdrew her spellbook from her bag.

Ben’s eyes widened. “Mal, what are you doing?”

“Proving a point.” She smiled wickedly, flipping to a page. “Beware, forswear, replace the old with uncool hair.” Her hair turned frizzy and black as night, washing out her pale features. She looked like some woodland nymph who’d never seen the light of day.

Ben backed up a step subconsciously.

“What’s the matter, Ben? Rethinking your feelings for me?”

“No, it’s not that.” He squared his shoulders. “You’ll always be beautiful to me, Mal.”

“Prove it.” She grasped his hands and brought her face inches from his. “Kiss me.”

That he could do. He kissed her tenderly, pulling her in close. This would surely prove to her that he loved her no matter what she looked like.

Mal pulled away and dug in her bag for a silver mirror. She held it up to look at herself. “Beware, forswear, replace the old with brand new hair,” she whispered. Her shiny purple locks returned.

“Great, so can we go to the wedding planning now? Lumiere’s waiting on us.”

Mal shook her head, lips drawn together in a pout. “Don’t you get it, Ben? That spell was a curse, and your kiss didn’t break it.” She pulled the ring off her finger and handed it to him. “Tell Lumiere the wedding’s off.”

…

Ben couldn’t believe it. How would he get the villains to fall into line now? He’d turned the baddest of the bad into the purest good. She was their shiny example of success. Without her…

All he could think about was how disappointed the people would be. Shouldn’t he be feeling a gut-wrenching sadness from losing Mal? Wasn’t that how poets described heartbreak?

Unless…

Mal was right. He wasn’t in love with her. All this time he’d told himself it was love. Her kiss had broken his curse after all, but maybe True Love’s Kiss didn’t require both to be in love. Her love was strong enough, but his never was.

It wasn’t as if he’d been trying to use her. He wasn’t that kind of person. He’d just been caught up in the fantasy of it all. The idea that his kindness and goodness could change a person for the better, bring out the good hidden deep within--and he still firmly believed everyone had that. It could have just as easily been Evie, if she’d been the one to give him the love potion…

He was a king who hadn’t yet found his true love. A rarity in Auradon. The romantic story he’d been writing with Mal was nothing more than a fairy tale.

…

Only six months later Ben received an invitation to Mal’s wedding. It hadn’t taken her long to find love again. Ben wished it were that easy for him. He was still alone. He hadn’t been alone like this since he was fifteen.

The wedding was a grand event, filled with all the things Mal said she would hate at a wedding. Ben didn’t understand why she’d changed her tune. Was she doing all of this because her fiancé wanted it? Or was she doing it just to annoy Ben?

Whatever the case, Ben wasn’t the only one at the wedding who looked unhappy. While everyone was dancing, Carlos sat at a table alone, petting Dude while he watched Jay and Mal dance.

Ben sat next to him. “Hey, man.”

Startled, Carlos looked up. “Oh, Ben, hi. Sorry, didn’t see you there.”

Ben chuckled. “It’s okay. You were distracted.” He nodded towards Mal and Jay. The newlyweds looked so happy, grinning ear-to-ear, dressed in Evie’s finest creations to date. 

Carlos’s face turned scarlet. “It’s not what you’re thinking.”

“It’s okay, Carlos. Mal is beautiful. I can see how the whole kingdom has fallen in love with her. You don’t have anything to be ashamed of.”

Carlos bit his lip. “Actually, I…”

“Come on, let’s dance,” Ben said, suddenly energized. It made no sense for them both to be miserable. If cameras caught him looking sad, there would be a slew of magazine articles about Broken-hearted Ben at his ex’s wedding. He didn’t want people to think he was jealous. He really wasn’t. Like at all.

He should have been, shouldn’t he? Even if Mal wasn’t his true love, he should have felt something. Never mind that. He held out his hand to Carlos.

Carlos took it, still holding the dog.

Ben laughed. “Sorry, but Dude’s going to have to sit this one out.”

“Oh, right,” Carlos said, setting Dude down on the table. Dude immediately started eating the leftovers from Carlos’s plate.

Ben led Carlos onto the dance floor. As they took their positions, the fast song cut off and a slow, romantic waltz started up.

“Darn. Guess we should just wait,” Carlos mumbled.

Ben lifted Carlos’s hand, still clasped between his fingers, and put a hand behind Carlos’s shoulder blade. “Take my waist. I’ll teach you how to waltz.”

“Oh, yeah, sure, okay.” Carlos fumbled with his words and put his hand hesitantly on the king’s waist.

Ben guided him through the steps, grateful for the distraction. He would have preferred a fast dance, but teaching Carlos actually took a lot of concentration. It was perfect for taking his mind off things. “Reminds me of when I trained you in Tourney.”

Carlos beamed. “Yeah, without you I never would have made the team. It was a lot of fun. I miss those days.”

“Me too. I wish I could go to university, but this king business is a full time job.” Ben stepped on Carlos’s foot. “Oh, sorry, are you okay?”

“Yeah, sorry. That was my fault. What was the count again?”

Ben went over it again. He was so focused on the dance that he didn’t notice the camera flash.

After their dance, Ben suggested a walk through the gardens. He was desperate to get away from the crowds of happy people. This wedding was just making him feel more and more miserable and alone.

Carlos kicked pebbles as they walked down the garden path. He had his head down, eyes focused on his shoelaces, but Ben could tell his mind was elsewhere.

“There are other girls,” Ben said to comfort him.

Carlos shrugged, digging his hands into his pockets. He was wearing a white suit over a black shirt with a red tie, his signature colors. On his lapel was a pin with his logo, the crossbones.

Ben adjusted his gold tie. “Is this a self-confidence thing?” he asked. “Because you must know that you’re a catch.”

Carlos looked up, startled. “Me? No, I’m definitely not. The only person who’s ever wanted me is Jane, and even she left me for someone taller, stronger, and more handsome than me.”

“But not smarter,” Ben said, smiling. “And the handsome part is debatable. Gil’s all right if you’re into all that brawn. You’ve got your own charm.”

“Are you into brawn?” Carlos asked.

Ben laughed. “Definitely not.”

“But you like strong women,” Carlos pointed out.

“Didn’t Mal tell you?” Ben asked, surprised. “About why we broke up.”

Carlos shook his head. “She wouldn’t tell me a word about it, though I’m pretty sure she told Jay.”

“Ah.” Ben wondered if he should just keep his mouth shut. It wasn’t like he owed Carlos an explanation, and Carlos wasn’t asking him for it either. But for some reason, Ben felt that talking about it might help him. He’d kept the real reason he and Mal broke up a secret from everyone. “You know how True Love’s Kiss is supposed to break any curse?”

Carlos nodded.

“Well, Mal cursed herself, and then asked me to kiss her, and, um, it didn’t work. So I think that maybe I never really loved her. That maybe I just liked this romantic story that was so similar to my parents.”

“That’s not true,” Carlos said. “She’s the one who didn’t want to marry you. You can’t blame yourself.”

“You don’t know what I’m going through.”

“I know that you loved her. I know that you would’ve given up anything for her. Even your kingdom. She tricked you into thinking you never cared because she knew you would keep chasing after her if she broke up with you normally.”

“That’s not what happened. I know that I never felt the same way for her. I thought I did. I tried so hard, but I didn’t. I cared for her as a friend, a best friend even, but all the kisses were based around a fairy tale.”

“Were you in love with Audrey?”

“No,” Ben said immediately. He knew that without a doubt.

“Then how do you know what you had with Mal wasn’t love?”

“Because, if that was love, I don’t know what’s so special about it. And I don’t miss it now that it’s gone.”

“You don’t?” Carlos asked in surprise.

“I miss having someone. But not Mal specifically. I don’t really know what I want.” It felt so good to say the words aloud. He’d been trapped with his own terrifying thoughts for months.

“Maybe you don’t want anyone. Maybe you just feel pressured because your parents and the whole kingdom expect you to get married. You’ve been taught since you were little that every prince gets a happily ever after. Talk about high expectations. Reality is a lot more complicated than that. In reality, love usually hurts.” Carlos slumped down onto a bench near the fountain.

Ben sat next to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. “You’ll get over her.”

Carlos’s hands tightened into fists. “I can’t do this anymore.”

Ben’s eyes widened as an icy chill swept through him. “Please don’t do anything stupid. You have so much to live for.”

Carlos looked at Ben, his eyebrows raised. “What are you talking--Oh, you thought I meant. Oh. No, Ben. I’m not going to kill myself. I just mean, I can’t keep lying to you.”

Ben tensed. “What are you lying about?” he asked cautiously.

Carlos fiddled with a strand of his white hair. “I’m not in love with Mal. I’m in love with Jay.”

Ben couldn’t find words. He sat there gaping like a fish, trying to wrap his head around what Carlos had said. “But you’re not Jay’s type,” he said at last.

“Don’t I know,” Carlos said, sounding bitter. “He likes his girls tough and his guys even tougher. I couldn’t even be around him while he was dating Gil.”

Ben felt bad for Carlos. It must have been hard watching Jay with so many people over the years. “I knew Jay wasn’t straight, but I didn’t know about you. Why haven’t you told anyone? Everyone’s okay with Jay. And then there’s Gil and Harry and Lonnie.”

“They’re all bi,” Carlos said. “They still have the option to end up with someone of the opposite gender. But me…”

“You’re gay?” Ben guessed.

Carlos nodded. “I guess I just feel kind of trapped. Sure, if I came out, there are guys who might want to date me, but who would actually want to stay with me?”

“Have you ever dated a guy?” Ben asked.

“Yeah.”

“Who? You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

“It’s okay. It was Harry.”

“Harry as in your henchman, or Harry as in--”

“Harry Hook. Flirts with everything that walks. Yes, that one.” Carlos sighed, folding his hands under his chin. “He was really sweet to me, but he hated that we had to keep our relationship a secret. Said he wanted to show me off to the world. It was all pretty romantic to be honest, but I couldn’t trust that he’d stay with me. And I was right. Inevitably, he went back to Uma. I always knew he would.”

“But he kept your secret,” Ben said. “He definitely cared about you. Maybe if you had trusted him, he’d still be with you.”

“Yeah, maybe. But there’s no use dwelling on the past. He moved on. And my crush on Jay returned. Only for Mal to snag him this time, and she actually got him to settle down. I never thought he’d be the first of us to get married. Always thought it would be Evie.”

“Not Mal?” Ben said, puzzled.

Carlos smirked. “I know that even if Mal had married you, she would have delayed the wedding as long as possible.”

“But she didn’t do that with Jay.”

Carlos was silent for a moment. “She’s always been a little different around Jay. She was friends with him for a long time before she met me and Evie. I feel like she’s always had a soft spot for him.”

“Well, I think you should tell Jay.”

Carlos snorted. “He already knows. She married him, didn’t she?”

Ben shook his head. “Not about that. I mean about you. Your crush. He’s not going to tell anyone else, and it’ll give you some closure.”

“Maybe,” Carlos said.

“You’re ready to talk about it. You told me.”

“Yeah, but you’re my best friend,” Carlos said. “It’s way easier to talk to you.”

Ben’s heart felt warm. It was nice to hear that Carlos thought of him that way. He’d thought of Carlos as his closest friend for years now. And it felt good that Carlos had trusted him with his secret. It was unexpected, sure, but he didn’t think of Carlos any differently.

Carlos stretched his arms, yawning. He announced that he was going to go find Dude and head home. It had been a long night. Ben was tired too, but he had to socialize a little longer. Kingly duties and all.

He headed back to the party.

Snow White was fast to approach him. He noticed she had a small microphone clipped to her dress. “King Ben, a moment.” She held a camera in his face. 

It took a moment for his eyes to focus on the picture. It was of Ben dancing with Carlos.

“Is this the real reason behind your breakup with Mal?” Snow White asked.

“What?” Ben asked, confused.

“What made you decide to go public with your relationship with Carlos?”

Ben backed up several steps. “Relationship? No, we’re just friends. I was teaching him how to waltz.”

Snow White persisted. “Are you sure there’s nothing going on between you and Carlos? He’s the first villain you befriended. Please, King Ben, the people need to know the truth.”

Ben had to be careful with what he said. He didn’t want to imply that Carlos had any feelings for him. It was important that Carlos’s secret remain secret. “I would never lie to my people,” Ben assured her. “Carlos and I are just friends. He doesn’t like me in that way.”

Snow White nodded, smiling. She looked a little too gleeful, which worried Ben. “Thank you for your honesty, Your Majesty.” Then she was off, looking for another story to follow.

…

The guards nodded to Ben as he trudged up the steps into his castle. He was tired and just wanted to crawl into bed. As he passed his father’s study, he heard his parents arguing.

Ben poked his head inside. “What’s going on?”

Belle rubbed her forehead. “Reporters are ridiculous, that’s what.”

His heart started racing. Snow White was going to run the story about him and Carlos after all. Ben thought he was doing him a favor, distracting him from Mal, but if this story got out, it would affect Carlos’s life. He wouldn’t be able to keep his secret. Ben was such an idiot.

“There’s a wolf loose in Auradon,” Beast explained. “The reporters are calling it ‘the white wolf.’ They’re trying to start a panic.”

Ben fought hard not to smile, relieved the article wasn’t about him.

“We’re trying to convince them to keep it quiet so we can send our own Huntsman to kill it. If the people find out, it’ll be much harder to track it down.”

“Do we really need to kill it?” Ben asked, alarmed. “What if it’s someone like you? Someone cursed.”

“I never ate anyone,” Beast growled.

Ben’s heart sunk. “It’s eating people? Who?”

Beast wouldn’t look him in the eyes.

“Dad, who did it eat?” Ben insisted.

“Your friend Carlos.”

Ben swayed on his feet and fainted.

…

Carlos woke in the middle of the forest, naked. He looked around for his clothes, but they were nowhere to be found. He had two thick cuts on his body, one on his arm, one on his leg. He didn’t remember getting them.

What happened after the wedding? He was at the party, he danced with Ben, and then he came out to Ben and admitted his crush on Jay. Then he got tired and left.

What happened to Dude? He looked around in a panic. No sign of him either.

A wave of hunger shot through Carlos. He felt like he hadn’t eaten all week, even though he’d gorged himself on food at the party.

Where was he? He looked around for any signs of familiar landmarks. Nothing. Though he had the sense he’d been in these woods before. He looked for the sun. He could use it to orient himself since the sun always rose to the east. He spotted it through the trees and smiled at his own cleverness. East it was.

Carlos walked through the forest, his feet aching. Rocks and twigs bit into his skin. He winced as he made his way over a large tree trunk. His feet slid out from under him, and he landed with a thud on his bottom.

“Dalmatians!” he cursed, rubbing his raw skin. This was going to be a long day.


	2. Into the Woods

Ben suited up to go hunting for the wolf. It was all he could do to keep his mind off Carlos. He was probably the last person to have spoken to him. All the guards had found of his friend were tattered clothes and an awful lot of blood. The fairies had confirmed the blood to be Carlos’s.

He’d summoned Evie late in the night and had her use the mirror to find Carlos. They’d all gasped in horror when it showed the wolf, confirming that Carlos had been eaten. Evie had been so upset, she’d dropped her mirror, shattering it into a million pieces.

It was all too much for Ben to bear. Guilt gnawed at him. If he hadn’t gone back to the party, if he’d just walked Carlos home, he’d still be here. Ben would have danced with them the whole night, if he’d only known what dangers lay in the woods.

“Are you ready, sire?” Lumiere asked, bringing over Ben’s horse.

Ben nodded. Newlyweds Mal and Jay were both suited up for hunting as well. The three of them would stop at nothing to find the monster.

“Wait,” called a familiar voice. They all turned to look at the blue-haired princess dressed in distressed leather pants and a blue riding coat. It was the first time Ben remembered seeing Evie without her usual skirt or dress. “I’m coming too,” she insisted.

“It’s going to be dangerous, and we might be gone for days,” Mal said. “You’ve got a business to attend to, orders to fulfill. You should stay, Evie.”

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “My assistant will take care of everything in my absence. I’m coming. I can’t bring Carlos back, but I can help find the monster who did this.”

“Evie’s always been useful on our quests,” Jay said when Mal turned to him. “She could be an asset.”

“Ben?” Mal looked at him, as if seeking his permission. Or perhaps hoping he wouldn't let Evie go.

“Based on our track record, Evie’s far less likely to get captured or attacked than I am,” Ben admitted. “Do you know anything about tracking?”

Evie smiled. “Quite a bit, actually.”

“Can you ride?”

She whistled, and a beautiful palomino horse trotted out of the stables. “Riding is an essential part of my princess lessons." When the horse reached her, she withdrew a long knife from the pack on its back. “And I can hunt.”

The four of them set off, riding into the thick forest.

…

A warm, welcoming scent floated through the air. Carlos stopped in his tracks, his mouth watering. It smelled like fresh baked cookies.

He followed the scent through the woods until he came upon a cottage. Spotting a tablecloth, he wrapped it around his waist, then went to knock on the door.

An old lady answered with a friendly smile. “Oh, you poor boy. What happened to your clothes?”

“Stolen,” Carlos said. It had happened all the time on the Isle, though most people he asked for help had just laughed at him or thrown him a dress.

“It’s those horrible villains,” the woman said, shaking her head. “Can’t believe the king thought taking the barrier down would be a good idea. Please, come in. Have a seat. My grandson left some clothes here. I’ll go grab those for you. Help yourself to some hot tea while you wait.”

Carlos nodded. “Thanks so much.” Still to this day he was amazed at the kindness of people in Auradon. He sat down on the comfy pink sofa and poured himself a cup of tea. It warmed him to the bones. Everything felt so good. The heat from the dancing fire, the fresh scents of pine and cookies, the soft music playing from a radio. He could fall asleep right there.

A beeping sound came from the kitchen.

“Oh, dear, that’s the cookies,” the woman called from another room. “Would you be a dear and get them out of the oven?”

“Of course,” Carlos said, only too eager to help. He hopped up and walked to the kitchen. The oven mitt had a dog on it that looked a lot like Dude. Carlos smiled as he slipped it over his hand and pulled open the oven door.

At first glance it looked empty. He stuck his head down until he spotted the cookies on a tray at the very back of the oven. Sighing in relief, he reached for the cookie tray. His feet slipped out from under him, and the hot metal slammed into his forehead.

A moment later the world went black.

…

Ben and his friends searched the woods all through the afternoon, but they found no signs of the wolf. No animal tracks. Nothing.

He was about to say they should set up camp when he noticed some blood on the ground. It wasn’t a lot, just a little bit on some rocks. “The wolf went east,” Ben said confidently.

Mal and Jay sighed with relief.

“Are you sure that’s from the wolf?” Evie asked. “Lots of animals bleed. I can take a sample and test it. If it’s human, it’ll react.” She started pulling test tubes and vials of chemicals from her pack.

Mal walked over, spellbook in hand. “We’re pressed for time. I’ve got a spell that’ll do the same thing in seconds.”

Evie frowned, disapproving. “What have I said about relying on magic?”

“Don’t you think, given the circumstances, we should be using magic? Half of the villains that came from the Isle are using magic again. We need something to defend ourselves.”

“I know, but magic is dangerous, Mal. We can’t just use it whenever we feel like it.”

Ben put a hand on Evie’s shoulder. “It’s all right. Mal has permission to use magic right now. I personally gave her back her spellbook after we took down the barrier. And she’s right, we need to find this wolf before it eats anyone else.”

That silenced Evie, her face filling with sadness. She nodded to Mal and stepped back.

Mal did a blood identification spell. _“Blood as red as poison’s kiss, show me whose heart’s blood is this.”_ She staggered backwards, grasping a tree branch. It snapped under her tight grip, and she started to fall.

Jay was quick to catch her. “Mal, you okay?”

She nodded, eyes wide. “I saw it. The white wolf. We’re definitely on the right trail.”

“Did you see where it was?” Evie asked.

Mal shook her head. “Sorry, it was only a flash, but it looked hungry, crazed. Like it might attack someone again...”

Ben tightened his grip on his sword hilt. He was ready to slaughter this wolf. No beast ate his best friend and got away with it.

They searched through the night but found no more traces of the wolf. At first light they set up camp. Wolves usually laid low during the day. Ben figured they could afford to get in a few hours of sleep. He felt bad for ruining Mal and Jay’s honeymoon, but they were the ones who had volunteered to hunt the wolf with him. It was the wolf he should be blaming.

Moreover, the wolf took away Ben’s best friend. And he would never forgive it, not as long as he lived.

…

Carlos woke to a horrible burning smell. He was still on the floor in the kitchen, but the old woman was nowhere to be found.

He must have passed out when he banged his head on the oven. Maybe the old lady had gone to get help for him. She was so kind. That must be what happened.

He checked the room with the fireplace. On the sofa were the clothes the woman had brought for him. He picked them up and slipped into them. It felt good to finally have something to cover him.

Seriously, what was that smell?

Carlos suddenly remembered the cookies and ran back into the kitchen. He turned off the oven and looked around for the oven mitt. It lay on the floor, torn to shreds. “What in the world…”

It was a little strange the old woman had left the oven on when she went to get help, but Carlos knew old people were always forgetting things. Besides, he’d be panicked too if someone knocked themselves out right in front of him.

His forehead throbbed, and he rubbed at it. The skin was raw, tingling uncomfortably. He felt like he was going to be sick. He needed to get to a doctor and fast.

Why hadn’t he asked the old lady where he was? That should have been the first question on his mind. Instead, he’d been more preoccupied about getting some clothes.

Carlos stepped outside. He must have been out a long time. The sun was rising already. Carlos sighed, figuring he would just continue east.

Coldness wrapped around him as the wind tugged at his threadbare clothes. It was better than nothing, but he wished for his own faux fur coat. How he just wanted to be home in his nice warm cottage in Auradon City.

The cold helped keep his mind off his head injury. He hoped he didn’t have a concussion. Or worse, brain damage. With luck, it was just a bad burn that would heal over time.

He took a break when the sun reached the middle of the sky. He was worried he’d get turned around without the sun as a compass. His fingertips were blue, and the threat of frostbite worried him. He made a small fire and rubbed his hands together to warm himself.

His stomach growled fiercely. Once again, he wished he’d asked for some real food at the old lady’s cottage. If he hadn’t been so clumsy, he would have been fed, warm, and on his way to Auradon City. He still didn’t even know if he was going in the right direction.

Carlos rubbed at his arm, noticing for the first time that the cut from earlier was gone. The one in his side was gone too. He looked at the bottom of his feet. No marks. He thought for sure he would have small cuts from the sharp rocks he’d walked across.

Maybe there was a healing potion in that tea the old woman gave him...


	3. The Spotted Wolf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and his friends finally catch up to the wolf...

Ben and his three companions stopped in King George Town in East Riding for a late lunch. They wanted to spend the remainder of daylight asking around to see if any of the locals had seen the wolf. Ben hoped no one else had gotten hurt.

Evie went to restock their provisions and buy some new thread. She said she had trouble tracking down gold thread in Auradon City and wanted to check while they were there.

That left Ben, Mal, and Jay to ask a few townspeople, in a very vague way, if they’d seen anything strange. No one had. Ben couldn’t decide if he was relieved or not. On one hand, no one here had gotten hurt. On the other hand, they weren’t any closer to finding the wolf.

The streets were surprisingly quiet for this time of day. They passed several shops and bumped into a girl crying in front of a place called Sir Choppington’s. Her mother hurriedly ushered her away, barely sparing them a glance.

People kept shooting them strange looks and shuffling away. Ben supposed they did stand out quite a bit. At least no one had recognized him yet.

“We should talk to King George,” Ben said. “He might be hiding information from his people to avoid causing a panic.”

“You mean like you’re doing?” Mal asked, crossing her arms.

“Yeah.”

“I thought you said you weren’t going to lie anymore.”

“It’s for their own safety, Mal. Come on. You know that there are things to take into account as a ruler. If I told everyone someone had been eaten, there would be panic everywhere.”

“Ben,” Jay said, sounding a little strange. He was holding a magazine in his hand. “Are you and Audrey back together?”

Mal snorted. “What?”

“No way,” Ben said. “Where does it say that?”

Jay showed him the magazine. ROYALZ, one of the worst gossip magazines in Auradon. Teens ate up it up like candy and even wrote stories about the royals online. The cover had a picture of Ben smiling with a small picture in the corner of him greeting Audrey at the wedding.

“It says you both disappeared during the afterparty. Did you guys sneak out together?”

“No, I snuck out with Carlos.”

Jay raised his eyebrows. “Oh my god. Is that why you’re so determined to avenge him?”

Mal smacked his arm. “This is no time for jokes. Seriously, you can be so insensitive sometimes. Don’t you think Ben would have told us if he was seeing Carlos?”

“No, actually I don’t think he would,” Jay said, crossing his toned arms. “But Carlos definitely would’ve told me. We don’t keep any secrets,” he said proudly.

Ben couldn’t meet Jay’s eyes. He knew a few secrets Carlos had kept from him, big ones. He flipped through the magazine absently. His heart stopped when it landed on a picture of Carlos. He was standing next to Evie while Ben officially returned her royal title to her. Mal and Jay were clapping in the background, looking like proud parents.

“Don’t worry. It’s just some stupid gossip magazine. No one believes these anyways,” Jay said, misreading Ben’s facial expression. “And I’m sure Audrey will be the first to tell everyone there’s nothing going on. Unless there is something going on…”

“Give it a rest,” Mal said.

“Sorry. Anyways, Ben, I’m really glad you’re leading the charge. I know you would have done the exact same thing if Mal were eaten, but it means a lot to us that you’re here.”

“Hey,” Mal said, whacking his arm. “I wouldn’t get eaten. Did you forget that I can turn into a dragon?”

Jay grinned. “I could never forget that.”

Ben tuned out their flirting, staring at the picture of Carlos. His heart ached. He’d never had a friend die before. Did it always feel like this? Like a part of him died with him, like he’d never be whole again.

“Guys, you have to see this,” Evie said, running up to them. She was holding a newspaper in her hands. On the front was a drawing of a wolf. “This is why the streets are so empty. Word has already gotten out.”

Ben grabbed the newspaper from her and skimmed the front page. “They don’t say anyone was eaten, thankfully, but they’ve put a bounty on the wolf’s head.”

“I know,” Evie said. “The weaponry stores were packed. I had to go to three to find the arrowheads I needed.”

Ben frowned. “Come nightfall all the men in this town will be after the beast.”

“Women too,” Mal said.

They needed to hurry and catch the wolf before someone got hurt. Ben shook his head, trying to clear away the sad thoughts. They had a wolf to slay. Hopefully King George would have answers.

...

The castle was in chaos when they reached it. People were running around and screaming. Ben managed to stop a guard just long enough for the guard to tell him there was a wolf in the throne room. Finally. They’d found it.

Ben raced to the throne room, Mal, Jay, and Evie on his heels.

He slammed through the door. “By order of the king, don’t touch that wolf,” he yelled.

The guards surrounding it with spears backed up a few feet. King George was cowering behind his throne, wrapping a tattered cape around himself. Ben noticed a shred of the coat near the wolf’s feet.

“King Ben,” said a few of them, and they nodded their heads in a habitual bow.

Ben gripped his sword tight and approached the wolf. He would be the one to kill it.

As he got close, the wolf turned to look at him. Its fur was white as snow with black spots on its belly, and its eyes were a warm, bloodthirsty brown.

Ben slashed at its side, and the wolf rolled over. The blade barely grazed it. The wolf snarled, circling him like it was deciding how best to eat him.

He struck at the wolf’s paw, but it tumbled out of the way and behind him. Ben whirled around, sword raised.

The wolf leaped at his sword, and Ben lost his grip. The sword went spiraling across the floor. “Ben, catch!”

Jay threw a sword. It arced through the air. Ben saw it in slow motion and caught it by its hilt. Stunned at his own success, he swung at the wolf with renewed strength. This time the wolf ran.

Ben followed the wolf as it fled towards the door, but the wolf didn’t try to run through the door like Ben expected. It ran to the wall, springing high into the air. Its paws hit the wall, and it flung itself backwards, turning midair.

A moment later the wolf was on top of him. Jay’s sword clattered across the floor until it was just out of reach.

Ben was done for. The wolf would eat him. All because he’d tried to be brave, for Carlos.

Then as if by magic, the wolf’s whole demeanor changed. It licked Ben’s face right as an arrow dug itself into its side. The wolf whimpered, collapsing on its uninjured side.

Ben stood up and looked over to Evie, who still had her bow raised. Mal had her spellbook out, furiously flipping through the pages. Jay had a dagger, poised to throw. The others turned to look at Evie in surprise.

The blue-haired princess was grinning triumphantly.

Ben pulled a coil of rope out of his bag and wound it around the injured wolf’s neck. The wolf wasn’t dead. Yet. Ben was still puzzled by the wolf’s change in behavior. It didn’t seem like any of the others had noticed. Lots of animals lick their prey before eating it, but Ben had a strange feeling that the lick had been more of a greeting.

But that didn’t make any sense. He was just imagining things. He always wanted to believe the best in anyone, and everything happened so fast. It reminded him a little of a R.O.A.R match…

But still, he didn’t want to rush into slaying the wolf. He needed to be sure it was the same wolf that killed Carlos.

The wolf was surprisingly obedient as Ben led it from the room. King George had humbly thanked Ben and offered them each a room in the castle, saying they could stay as long they liked. Mal and Jay chose to share their room, while Ben and Evie got their own rooms.

Ben tied up the wolf to the bed railing in his room. “Stupid beast,” he muttered.

The wolf yapped and rolled on the ground. The arrow in its hide snapped, the shaft rolling across the floor. The wolf whimpered in pain.

Ben froze, unsure what to do. This was a bloodthirsty beast. Or maybe it wasn’t. Ben sat down next to the wolf, studying it. It sure looked like the wolf from the mirror, and Mal said it looked exactly like the one she’d seen with the spell. He’d never seen a wolf with white fur and black spots. But it really did look so much friendlier now.

Maybe it needed to be threatened, like in the throne room. Ben took a hot poker from the fireplace and prodded the wolf, sword in his dominant hand, ready to strike.

The wolf growled, grabbing the poker from him and tackling it. But the wolf didn’t try to eat it, instead tossing it aside once it got bored. It walked over to Ben and rubbed its head on Ben’s leg.

Well, this wasn’t going as planned. Ben grabbed the creature’s muzzle and pried open its jaws, looking for any sign of Carlos. Maybe a scrap of fabric caught in its teeth. Any of Carlos’s signature colors.

Nothing.

Ben went back to sit on the bed, dejected. How was he supposed to get his revenge if he couldn’t even prove it was the same wolf? Minutes ticked by and then a foul smell filled the room. He looked over to see the wolf had pooped in the corner.

“Stupid dog,” Ben muttered, walking over to clean up the poop. As he was holding a bag over it to scoop it up, he noticed something shiny in the poop. Using the bag as a glove, he picked it up, and his heart sank. It was Carlos’s crossbones pin.

Here it was. Undeniable proof.

Ben turned around, sword raised, but the wolf wasn’t there any more. In its place was a naked, trembling white-haired boy.

“Carlos?” Ben asked. His sword clattered to the floor.

...

Carlos didn’t know what happened, or how he was in a fancy room with Ben. And what happened to his clothes? Again.

He reached for the blanket on the bed and covered himself.

Ben was just standing there, staring at him in shock.

Seriously, what had happened? Why was he naked? And what was that horrible smell?

“It’s you,” Ben said, his eyes shining.

“Yeah, it’s me. Do you have any clothes I can borrow? I seem to have misplaced mine.” Carlos felt his cheeks flush and wrapped the blanket tighter around himself.

“Of course.” Ben dug through a bag on the bed and tossed a shirt and pants to Carlos. “Sorry, they might be a little big.”

Carlos put them on under the blanket and then stood up. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Ben ran towards him and pulled Carlos into a tight hug. “I can’t believe you’re alive, Carlos. I was so scared. I thought, I thought I’d lost you.”

Carlos laughed. “I’m fine. Alive and well. Just, uh, not entirely sure how I got here. I remember walking into King George Town. Some townspeople told me to be careful because there was a wolf on the loose, so I went to the castle to ask King George for a ride home. Though now that I say that out loud it sounds like a stupid idea. The guards let me inside, but King George refused to see me.”

“And you got angry?” Ben asked.

“Well, yeah. But I don’t really remember what happened.”

Ben closed his eyes, sighing. When he opened his eyes, he looked at Carlos with such pity. “You tried to kill the king.”

Carlos stepped back, shaking his head. “No, I wouldn’t do that. I’ve never killed anyone, not even in self defense.”

“I know this is hard to hear, but you’re under a curse, Carlos. When you get angry, you, uh, you turn into a wolf.”

“What?” Carlos looked around the room, frightened. He could see the evidence now. The smelly poop far too large to come from a human, the claw marks on the floor, the bits of white fur on Ben’s pants.

“It’s true. After the wedding, you turned into a wolf. The guards found your tattered clothes and your blood, and when we tried to find you with Evie’s mirror, we saw a wolf. We thought the wolf had eaten you, but you were the wolf all along.”

That explained the missing time and waking up in the woods alone. Carlos didn’t want to believe it, but Evie’s mirror was never wrong. “Did I hurt anyone?”

“I’m not sure. You scared a lot of people and tore King George’s cape, but the only person who’s gone missing is you.”

“Who cursed me?”

“I don’t know,” Ben said. “But Mal’s here and she brought her spellbook. If anyone can break the curse, it’s Mal.”

Carlos nodded. He didn’t want anyone else to find out about this. If Mal could cure him quickly, he could go about his normal life. He put a hand to his side, wondering if the pain he was feeling was from the transformation. His hand met something warm and wet.

“You were shot with an arrow,” Ben informed him. “Maybe Mal can get that out with her magic too.”

“Did you shoot me?” Carlos asked, stunned. He couldn’t imagine Ben stepping up to be the hero, but it seemed just as unlikely that Mal had shot him. She had terrible aim.

“No. It was Evie.”

Carlos smiled, rubbing at his side. “I taught her well.” He winced. “Perhaps a little too well.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to leave it on a bit of a cliffhanger. Next chapter will be up soon. I'm trying to aim for updating at least once a week. Let me know what you think so far. :)
> 
> (Also did anyone catch the pun in the title. I thought it was funny...)


	4. Mal's Spellbook

Ben felt weird about leaving Carlos alone in the room, but he didn’t want to summon a guard to get Mal when she was only down the hall. He walked to her room and knocked on the door. No answer.

Maybe she was out. He knocked again.

“Coming! Just give us a few moments,” Mal said, sounding breathless.

Great, just great. He’d clearly arrived in the middle of something. He got that image out of his mind by thinking of Carlos again. Who would ever curse such a kind boy? It wasn’t right.

Carlos had been abused by his mother, bullied by the boys on the Isle, and ignored by most of the kids at Auradon Prep. He’d had his heart broken by Harry Hook and then by his best friend Jay. He didn’t deserve this. Any of it.

The door finally swung open.

Mal’s purple lipstick was a mess, and her dress was wrinkled. “What is it?”

“Um, so… Carlos is alive. He’s in my room right now. We need your spellbook.”

Mal didn’t waste a second grabbing her bag and rushing to the door. Jay sprung up from the bed in just his boxers.

“Wait here, Jay,” Ben said. “I just need Mal right now. We’ll come get you later.”

Jay gulped. “That means he’s hurt, doesn’t it?”

Ben didn’t answer. He couldn’t exactly say that Carlos was fine. Hopefully he wasn’t bleeding out in Ben’s bedroom...

Mal ran to hug Carlos the moment she saw him. “I’m so glad you’re alive. We were so worried about you.”

Carlos patted her shoulder. “Hey, Mal. Sorry I ruined your honeymoon.”

She ruffled his hair. “It’s okay, Carlos. I’d do anything for you. You know that. So what’s wrong? What can I fix?”

“I’m cursed,” Carlos said.

“He’s the wolf we’ve been tracking,” Ben clarified.

Mal’s eyes went wide. “The arrow. Are you okay?”

Carlos shook his head. His skin had turned a light greenish hue.

“May I?” she asked before lifting his shirt to look at the wound. About an inch of the wooden shaft stuck out of him, blood oozing from the wound.

“Can you do a spell?” Ben asked.

She shook her head. “Not for this. We need Evie.”

He ran to get Evie. When they returned to his room, Mal was rubbing a wet cloth on Carlos’s forehead and gently stroking his hand to calm him down.

“Carlos, I’m so sorry,” Evie said, collapsing next to him, tears in her eyes. “If I’d known you were the wolf, I never would have shot you.”

Carlos smiled weakly. “It’s okay. I’d rather you shoot me than let me hurt someone. I’m relieved you got to me before I could attack any of you.”

Evie looked at Ben, puzzled. He shook his head, silently urging her not to tell Carlos he’d attacked him. It was better if he didn’t know. Knowing would just scare him even more.

“Okay, let’s get started,” Evie said. “I need a bucket of boiling water, a towel to put under him, and alcohol to cleanse the wound.” She started pulling tools from her bag.

Ben summoned a servant and gave him Evie’s instructions. Less than five minutes later, Evie had everything she needed. She used the tongs by the fireplace to hold her knife into the fire. “The heat sterilizes it,” she explained when Ben asked.

Then she knelt down beside Carlos and cut a slit on either side of the arrow. They had to look away when she dug her fingers into the wound.

Carlos whimpered.

Ben kept his eyes shut tight. He hoped Carlos would be okay. It would be terrible if they’d gone to all this trouble to find him and learn he was alive, only to have him die on them. For real this time. He trusted Evie, though, and she seemed to know what she was doing.

When Ben looked back, Evie had already extracted the arrowhead connected to the small bit of wooden shaft. She was threading a needle.

“What’s that for?” Ben asked.

“I’ve got to sew him up,” Evie said. “It’s the only way the wound will heal properly. Hand me that bottle of alcohol.”

Ben passed it to her. She poured it onto the wound, causing Carlos to cry out in pain. Ben ran over to take Carlos’s hand. “Just focus on me,” he said.

Carlos nodded, gritting his teeth. Then his eyes widened. “Oh, no. I think I ate Dude.”

Ben chuckled. “Dude is fine. Jay found him after the wedding. My mom’s taking care of him right now. You can relax, Carlos. Everything’s going to be okay.” He wasn’t sure if that was true, but he tried his best to sound confident. It was a skill he’d spent years honing as king. 

“All done,” Evie said, snipping the thread. She placed the thread, needles, and scissors back into her sewing kit.

“Thank you, Evie,” Ben said. “I don’t know what we would’ve done without you.”

Evie smiled, though there was no happiness behind it. They both knew that without Evie it was extremely likely Carlos would have killed Ben. And then Jay or Mal would have destroyed Carlos before they even realized it was him. Ben was so glad he’d let her come with them.

“We should let him rest for a little while,” Evie said. “His bandage will need to be changed every so often. And I don’t think we should leave him alone. Would you mind if he stays in here with you?”

Ben nodded. “Yes, that’s fine. Should we put him on the bed?”

Evie shook her head. “I don’t think it’s safe to move him yet. Just put a pillow under his head for now. Here’s the supplies for changing the bandage. Change it first thing in the morning.”

“I will.”

“We’ll work on the spell tomorrow,” Mal said before she walked out of the room with Evie.

Ben walked over to the bed and picked out the fluffiest pillow. He walked over to Carlos and placed it under his head. “Sweet dreams.”

…

Carlos woke up to bright sunlight pouring through the window. He shut his eyes tight and snuggled against the warmth. He just needed five more minutes, maybe ten.

Gentle fingers ran through his hair, and he nuzzled his head against them.

“Carlos.” He heard his name, soft and gentle. “Carlos, wake up.”

His eyes shot open, and he looked over to Ben, who was lying next to him in the bed. Carlos realized he had his arm wrapped around Ben and hurriedly pulled away. “Sorry, I…”

Ben laughed. “It’s okay. I’m glad you seem to be feeling a little better. You were sleeping on the floor, but I guess you felt well enough to climb into the bed.”

Carlos smiled sheepishly, though he didn’t remember doing that. The last thing he remembered was Evie preparing to stick a needle in him. He put a hand to the injury, feeling a thick fabric square beneath his shirt.

“I need to change the bandage,” Ben said. He sat up and instructed Carlos to pull up his shirt. Ben’s fingers felt cool against Carlos’s skin as he gently peeled away the tape that was holding the bandage.

Carlos closed his eyes, not wanting to look at the injury. He waited for Ben to do whatever needed to be done. He was sure whatever it was it would hurt.

“Carlos…”

“Yes?”

“Open your eyes.”

Carlos did, wincing as he looked down at his skin. But there was no injury, just a zigzag of gold thread through his skin. Carlos felt his forehead and found the burn healed too. So it hadn’t been magical tea after all. Was healing part of the curse?

“We should get Mal,” Ben said. “It’s time we find out more about this curse.”

Carlos nodded. “Yes, please.”

…

Ben checked with Evie first. She wasn’t ready yet, but when Ben explained the situation, she ran out the door, her hair in curlers and makeup half done.

She checked on Carlos’s injury and confirmed it was healed. All she did was snip the thread and ease it out of his skin. Then she went to finish getting ready.

Ben sent a servant to get Mal this time, worried that he would be interrupting her again. It was awkward enough to be around Mal and Jay while they acted happy. It made Ben feel so inadequate. Why hadn’t he been able to make Mal happy like that?

But none of that mattered right now. Carlos took priority over everything else. Ben could deal with his complicated feelings about Mal and Jay later. 

Mal knocked on the door, and Ben let her in. While Carlos explained his newfound self-healing powers, Ben closed the windows so that no one could see any hint of Mal’s magic. If rumor spread that the king was allowing his friends to perform magic, the people would be angry. He’d promised to keep them safe by restricting the use of magic.

Mal was already flipping through the pages of her spellbook when he walked over to stand behind her.

“Okay, first thing we need to do is identify who put the curse on you,” Mal told Carlos. “Unfortunately, my spellbook doesn’t have any spells for undoing curses, and it’s really hard to undo one someone else created. The only way I really know is true love’s kiss, but seeing as you don’t have a true love…” Her voice trailed off, and she averted her eyes. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Carlos said. “So what are my options?”

“Well, we’ll have to track down whoever did this and persuade them to reverse the curse. Ah, here we go.” She pointed to a page in her spellbook.

Ben leaned over her shoulder to read the spell. It looked simple enough.

Carlos held out his palm so Mal could draw some blood. She placed a map on the floor and uttered the words to the spell. “Cursed from darkness and fire, show me the one with the ire.” She dropped the blood onto the map. They stared at it, but nothing happened.

Mal frowned. “I thought for sure that would work.” She thumbed through the book for another spell. “Hm, here’s a curse identification spell. It won’t say who cursed him, but it might give us a clue based on who has those powers.”

“That sounds good,” Ben said, watching Carlos. The boy seemed nervous, but he was holding himself together well.

Mal placed her hands on Carlos’s shoulders. “Curse made upon thee, show thy might to me.” Nothing happened. Mal grimaced. “Let’s try that again. Curse made upon thee, show thy might to me.”

Ben picked up the spellbook to make sure she was saying the right words. She was. He turned the page to another spell. “Try this one,” he said, handing the book back to Mal.

“We already know he’s cursed, but you’re right. Maybe it will give us a little more information on the curse.” She put her hands back on Carlos’s shoulders. “If a curse is inside there, make thyself aware. If there is no curse below, make this being glow.”

Carlos began to emanate light.

“He’s not cursed,” Ben said in surprise. “That means he was born like this. Who’s your father, Carlos?”

“I don’t know,” Carlos said. “Cruella never told me.”

Ben pulled out his computer and searched the royal registry of shapeshifters. He filtered it to wolves. Three of them had lived on the Isle of the Lost. He held out the computer to Carlos. “One of these men is your father.”

…

Carlos couldn’t breathe. His chest felt tight. His body was hot. He was going to die. Right here and now, on the floor in this fancy suite.

“Listen to me, Carlos.” He heard Ben’s voice, but it sounded distant.

“What’s happening to him?”

“It’s a panic attack. Chad gets them sometimes. Carlos, focus on breathing. Come on. In and out, do it with me. You’re not going to die. This will pass. You’re okay.”

“Okay?” Carlos choked out. “I’m a stinking werewolf! I’m not okay.” His muscles ached. He just wanted to curl up into a ball.

Ben’s warm, strong arms wrapped around him, and his gentle voice spoke into his ear. “I’m here, Carlos. I’m not going anywhere. I don’t care that you’re a werewolf. You’re still you, Carlos.”

He focused on the cool stone floor and let Ben’s soothing words wash over him. Ben cared about him, even if he was a monster. He wasn’t used to people caring. Even though he’d been out of his mother’s grasp for years, he still felt like everyone was just looking for a way to use him and then toss him aside.

Ben’s strong arms felt so nice. The panic faded, and a new feeling replaced it. Intrigue, happiness, fear. He didn’t let himself think about what that meant. He let Ben continue to hug him until Mal had left the room and he heard Ben snoring gently.

Carlos shook him awake.

Ben smiled warmly. “I trust you’re feeling better.”

“A little,” Carlos admitted, though this new feeling was still bothering him.

Ben propped his head on his hand. He was draped across the floor. Carlos thought he looked downright adorable. Not at all like a king.

His lips tingled, and he subconsciously bit them. He needed to stop looking at Ben’s lips. Now definitely wasn’t the time to be thinking about kissing. Or Ben at all.

He should have learned after Jay. Falling for a friend was never a good idea. Especially not when he was the king of Auradon.

Carlos stood and walked over to the window. He pulled apart the curtains. It was dark outside, a mist obscuring the gardens behind the castle. Ben’s theory must be right. He only transformed when he was angry. Just like Ben’s father.

He sighed. He didn’t want any of this. It was already a big adjustment not being in school any longer, not seeing his friends every day. He didn’t need to deal with being a werewolf on top of that.

“We’ll summon those three men,” Ben said. “You can talk to them and find out which one is your father. Maybe he can help you understand all this.”

Carlos nodded. “Yeah,” he said, his voice cracking. He cleared his throat. “That’s a good idea. Thanks, Ben. For everything.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short note on Carlos's werewolf powers: His body can heal on its own, but only while he's sleeping. He will be unlocking more powers over the course of the story. Thanks for reading!


	5. Caged

Carlos was feeling well enough to eat lunch in the dining room with the others. Ben told him that they’d lied to the king and told him the wolf was slain, so he didn’t need to worry about everyone blaming him for the attack.

As far as they knew Carlos had conveniently been in the area and had come to the castle after being wounded. No one commented on the fact he was staying in Ben’s room, though Carlos did notice a few strange looks from the servants.

“Here, eat some more meat,” Evie said, piling bacon onto his plate.

Since he’d been in the dining room, both Evie and Ben had been treating him like a child who needed taking care of. He was glad to know they cared, but he was practically an adult now, damn it.

“I’m really fine,” he said. He ate the extra food nonetheless. He still felt hungry, starved even. The meat helped only a little.

The door creaked open, and Jay ran through like an eager puppy, Mal at his heels. He pulled Carlos into a hug, lifting him a few inches off the chair. “Buddy, I’m so glad you’re okay.” He set him down and kissed the top of his head several times.

Evie scooted over so he could take her seat next to Carlos. She moved around the table to sit next to Ben.

“I can’t believe you fell off your horse,” Mal said wickedly, sitting on Carlos’s other side.

Carlos shrugged. “I blame the horse.”

Jay draped an arm around him. “Your horse is whack. I’m not letting you out of my sight.”

A year ago Carlos would have loved this kind of attention. Jay had always been very physical with him. When he’d been crushing on him, each touch had meant the world. But now it was different. His chest felt painfully tight, and he wanted nothing more than to push Jay away, but he didn’t want to make a scene.

“Carlos, would you help me prepare for the journey home?” Ben asked.

“Yes!” He practically leapt up and scurried after Ben.

Once they were out of the room, he asked Ben what he needed help with.

“Nothing,” Ben said. “You just looked uncomfortable.”

Carlos’s heart raced. Ben had been thinking of him and even noticed his discomfort. Stop crushing, he warned himself. It would just end up the same way it did with Jay. And he definitely didn’t want to be feeling that awkwardness around the king.

“I’m just ready to be home,” Carlos admitted.

“About that,” Ben said. “I was thinking it would be a good idea if you stayed at my castle for a little while. At least until we can find your father.”

It was so tempting to say yes. Carlos would love the extra time with Ben, but he knew deep down it was a bad idea. His feelings for the king would only grow, and he desperately needed to forget about him.

“That’s a really generous offer, but I want to be home. In my own room. You know how that is.” Carlos hoped he wasn’t hurting Ben’s feelings. He turned to leave, but Ben grasped his arm.

“I’m sorry, Carlos, but it wasn’t an offer. I’m the king. I have to do what’s best for the people, to keep them safe. Right now you can’t control your abilities. It’ll be much safer for you and everyone else if you stay at the castle, where I can watch out for you.”

“You mean where you can lock me up?” Carlos asked, swallowing. He understood, but it still stung, still tasted like betrayal. He didn’t want to be caged.

Ben ran a hand through his hair. “That isn’t what I meant. I just want to be close by in case you need me. And if something does happen, it’ll be a lot easier to control if it’s on my grounds.”

“You think I’m going to attack someone.”

Ben looked down, shamefaced. “You already tried to attack King George. It’s just a precaution, Carlos. Please, don’t take it personally.”

“How can I not?”

Just when he thought Ben and the others genuinely cared for him, and now this? Carlos couldn’t believe it. He’d been foolish to trust anyone here. They weren’t caring for him because they loved him; they were caring for him because they were afraid of him, like placating an angry beast.

...

On the ride to Ben’s castle, Carlos couldn’t even look at Ben. The others had ridden their horses home, but Carlos had been forced to ride in a limo lent to them by King George. He knew it was because Ben thought he would run away.

Carlos had already agreed to come. He didn’t know why Ben was being so controlling. Did he really trust him so little?

The ride was quiet and dull. The gravelly roads made the car rock a bit, lulling him into a light sleep. He kept his eyes closed even when he woke up again. He didn’t want to see Ben staring at him.

Once they arrived, Ben led Carlos into the castle and up the many stairs to a bedroom. He pointed out that his own room was just down the hall. Great. Carlos was being watched.

“If you need anything else,” Ben said, “just let me—”

Carlos slammed the door in Ben’s face and turned the lock. It felt so weird being at this castle, knowing that he was a monster. Someone to be feared.

He sank down onto a bed that had no right being that soft and broke into sobs. The anger melted away, and the fear crept back in. The more he cried, the worse he felt, about everything. 

Carlos was starting to wonder if it wasn’t anger that triggered the change. He’d been furious at Ben, but he’d stayed the same. If his transformations weren’t predictable, that made him truly dangerous.

…

Ben thankfully hadn’t needed to resort to chaining up Carlos, but he’d had the handcuffs in his pocket just in case. He hated that he’d made Carlos feel like they were afraid of him. He wasn’t. At all.

Ben knew now that Carlos wouldn’t have eaten him. That hesitation, the licking. That had been Carlos’s humanity coming through, recognizing Ben’s scent. He was certain of it. Carlos would never harm him.

That was why Ben wanted to be the one to look after him. If anything happened, he could block Carlos’s way, get him to calm down, and everyone would be safe. He had to prepare for the worst, even if he believed that Carlos wouldn’t hurt anyone.

A king couldn’t afford to give werewolves special treatment. Carlos would need to be registered in the royal database. He could only keep his secret until they found Carlos’s father.

For now, Ben called together a press conference to do some much-needed damage control. He told the reporters the wolf had been captured and that Carlos was found, alive and well. There was no need for them to panic.

The reporters had a million questions about how the wolf had been captured. Ben admitted to capturing it himself with the help of Evie, Jay, and Mal. More good press for the original villain kids never hurt anyone.

After the conference was over, Ben went to his study to document the meeting. It helped to have everything on file.

A knock sounded at the door. Lumiere poked his head inside. “Sire, you have a visitor.”

“Who is it?”

“Snow White.”

Ben sat up straighter, alarmed. He had a sinking feeling in his stomach. He already knew what this was about. He sighed. “Let her in.”

Snow White walked in practically glowing. She beamed at Ben, holding more mischief in her smile than the most wily villain. Reporters were like that. It meant she had something she considered valuable.

“Your Majesty,” she said, curtsying. She grasped a large envelope in her manicured hands.

“What do you have?” Ben asked, saying it like he was referring to a disease.

Snow White placed the envelope onto the table.

Ben shook out the contents. An article, a dozen pictures, and an SD card. It was exactly what he expected.

The article was titled “King Ben’s Unrequited Love” and shared the tragic story of his hopeless crush on Carlos De Vil. He raised an eyebrow.

“You twisted my words,” he accused.

“No, I used an exact quote,” Snow White said proudly.

She had in fact, but it was vastly out of context. _“Carlos and I are just friends. He doesn’t like me in that way.” _He’d said that at Mal and Jay’s wedding when Snow White had ambushed him.

Ben shook his head. “You interpreted my words in the way that made the most dramatic story. And after you seemed so sincere about getting the truth. That was pretty hypocritical of you, don’t you think?”

Snow White laughed, tilting her head. “Was it though? You were gone for three days searching for Carlos De Vil once he went missing. No king would put himself in danger like that unless it was for someone really important to him. Last time you cared this much about someone, you followed them to the Isle of the Lost and got kidnapped by pirates. Think on that, Your Majesty.”

“I don’t need to. You’re wrong.”

“King Ben, with all due respect, it’s come to my attention that you cared for Carlos when he was injured and even went so far as to let him stay in your bedroom at King George’s palace. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you two were already together. The limo driver tells me Carlos wouldn’t talk to you the whole way here. From where I’m standing, it sounds like you confessed your feelings to Carlos, overjoyed to find him alive and well, and the poor boy rejected you.”

“I don’t have feelings for Carlos,” Ben insisted. Snow White sure knew how to make up ridiculous stories, and how did she have so many spies? In another life she’d have been a villain for sure. “What is this really about? What do you want?” It wasn’t unusual for reporters to bring him unpublished articles and demand money or some other compensation for them not to be printed.

“These pictures beg to differ.” Snow White spread the photos across the table.

Most of them were of Ben and Carlos dancing at Mal and Jay’s wedding. There was one from a distance that showed Ben and Carlos sitting on the bench in the garden, Ben’s hand on Carlos’s shoulder. The last few were of Mal and Ben at the Winter Ball, their last ball together before they broke up. They didn’t look nearly as happy as Ben did with Carlos. But that was because Mal and Ben didn’t work. Their relationship had been strained for a while. Of course Ben would have more fun dancing with a friend. These pictures proved nothing.

“You can’t publish that article,” he said, thinking of Carlos. He needed to protect him from unwanted scrutiny. It was much harder to keep a secret with everyone watching. “Especially not now with everything going on.”

“Everything going on? I thought you said you took care of the wolf. Unless there’s more to the story.”

Ben kept his gaze serious and his voice steady. “What do you want, Snow White?”

“Well, if you agree to my offer, you will get this article, all these pictures, and the card the pictures are on. I won’t be able to publish the article without the pictures, so you can keep this out of the press.”

He was getting annoyed with all of her delaying. “And what do you get?”

“An exclusive interview,” she said, clapping her hands together. “With you. Once you’re ready to talk about your feelings for Carlos, I will be the one to interview you and write more than just a gossip piece. I’m talking front page material.”

Ben frowned, puzzled. That was an unusual request. She could have asked for money or even a date to the upcoming ball. “Are you sure?” he asked.

“Absolutely. So, do we have a deal?”

Ben thought about it. It would be stupid not to accept. Besides, she’d never write that article since he wasn’t interested in Carlos, so he really had nothing to lose. “Deal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ben's interview finally comes back to bite him lol. I'm excited to bring in some more familiar characters in the next few chapters and a new one!
> 
> Comments would be lovely, thanks.


	6. Monsters

Smoke clouded the dark sky, the crisp scent of fire intoxicating. Carlos slunk through the shadows of the ruined buildings. He was a wolf, strong, powerful, and hungry.

Villagers ran screaming when they saw him, but the sound was music to his ears. He pounced on them one by one, out of control, some dark evil coursing through his veins, urging him to eat everything in his path.

The villagers fought back with pitchforks and torches, but they were no match for his sleek, raw power. He jumped over dead bodies, knocked down the villagers’ torches, and watched as the buildings burned. He licked his lips, the taste of blood more delicious than any human food.

Throwing back his head, he howled.

Carlos woke, his body covered in sweat. He checked his hands, his legs, and ran to the mirror to check his face. No blood. No evidence of the beast. He put a hand to his racing heart. It was just a dream, wasn’t it?

But it had felt so real...

Carlos opened his door a crack to check the string he’d placed at the top. It was still in tact. He couldn’t have left through his bedroom door. He glanced over at the window, but he was definitely too high up to have left that way.

He breathed a sigh of relief, but his body was still tense, like a tightly wound coil threatening to burst. He couldn’t go back to sleep, but he didn’t feel like he could be alone either.

He wished Jay was here. He had comforted him after many dreams while they lived together. They’d shared an apartment for almost a year while they both attended Sherwood University. Not to mention the year they shared in the dorms at Auradon Prep. Jay had always been there for him.

But since Carlos had dropped out of school and Mal had moved in with Jay, they didn’t have those quiet nights of comfort like they used to. Besides, Jay was off on his honeymoon with Mal. And Evie, his second choice, had gone back to her castle since she had hundreds of orders to complete for the upcoming ball. That left only one person, though he dreaded seeing him.

Carlos knocked on the king’s door. “Ben, it’s me. Please open up.”

No answer. Carlos was about to give up when a sleepy Ben pulled open the door. “What’s wrong, Carlos?”

Carlos tackled him with a hug. “I’m sorry I said all those horrible things. I know you’re just trying to protect me. I’m just really, really scared, and I took it out on you, which wasn’t fair at all. Can you ever forgive me?”

Ben threaded his fingers through Carlos’s hair and pulled him close to his chest. “It’s okay,” he said, his voice gentle and soothing. “Of course I forgive you. I’m sorry I have to keep you here. You understand, don’t you? This isn’t about you personally. It’s about keeping everyone safe, you included.”

Carlos pulled away, embarrassed. He wasn’t crying today, especially not in front of Ben. Besides, yesterday had dried him up completely. “Can we sit down somewhere?”

“Yes, come on in.” Ben led him over to the sofa.

Carlos sat beside him, folding his hands in his lap. He twisted his fingers as he thought of how to word what he needed to say.

“Are you afraid of me?” he asked at last.

Ben tilted his head. “Why would I be afraid of you?”

“Because I could turn into a wolf at any moment. I’m a monster.”

“You’re no monster,” Ben said, smiling. He placed a hand on Carlos’s shoulder. “Did you forget I’m the son of the Beast? Out of everyone in Auradon, I think I’m the person most sympathetic to your situation. I’ve never been afraid of my father, and I’ll never be afraid of you.”

“You should be. I’m afraid of me.” He put a hand to his chest, clutching the fabric of his shirt. “I attacked a king. If I’d killed King George…” Carlos couldn’t even finish the sentence. The thought of killing anyone was just too awful.

“But you didn’t, and you won’t hurt anyone,” Ben said gently. His thumb traced soothing circles against Carlos’s skin.

Carlos found himself leaning into his touch. It was only too easy to get swept up in his kindness. Ben was such a force of light and goodness. He’d always been a shining role model to Carlos. An example of the ideal person, the kind of person he’d always wanted to be, even when his mother taught him evil was the goal.

“You’re so good,” Carlos said. “All the time. You’ve never done anything bad in your life. You’ve never put anyone in danger. You don’t know what it’s like, to make mistakes, to hurt people you care about.”

Ben’s hand dropped. He seemed stunned by Carlos’s words, but he had a strange expression on his face, something like shame or regret. “I hurt you,” Ben said. “I made you think I didn’t trust you.”

“That wasn’t your fault. You said what you thought was right. And you were right. I’m dangerous. I shouldn’t be staying at my house in the city, where I could attack anyone.”

“I did something else, Carlos. I lied to you. To protect you, but it was still wrong.” Ben raked a hand through his hair. His eyebrows were pinched together, his gaze distant.

Carlos didn’t know what to say. He thought Ben would never lie to him. It had to be about something small and silly. Goody-two shoes Ben getting worked up over nothing. Right?

“Do you want to know the truth?” Ben asked.

“You think I shouldn’t?”

Ben sighed, sinking back into the sofa. “I don’t know. If it were me, I wouldn’t want to know, but I can’t speak for you. Maybe knowing would be good for you.”

Carlos’s heart was racing, anxiety bubbling under his skin. He was afraid of what Ben would say. It must be really bad if he didn’t want him to know. “Tell me.” 

Ben took a deep breath, rubbing his hands on his knees. “Okay, so you didn’t just attack King George. You attacked me too. You jumped on top of me. That’s why Evie shot you.”

It was far worse than what Carlos expected to hear. He wished Ben hadn’t told him. If only he could rewind time and tell him not to say a word…

He stood up shakily, the ground swaying beneath his feet. He needed to get out of here, he needed to get away from Ben. He didn’t want to hurt him or anyone else ever again.

“Lock me up,” he said, holding out his wrists to Ben. “Put me in the dungeons, where I can’t hurt anyone.”

“Wait, Carlos. Listen to me,” Ben said, standing up. “You weren’t going to kill me, I promise.”

Carlos couldn’t focus on the king’s words. All he could think about was what he’d almost done, what this monster inside him had made him do. He wished Evie had aimed for his heart…

Ben grabbed his shoulders, putting his face right in front of him. “Carlos, listen to me. Snap out of this.”

But nothing he said could take Carlos’s mind off the spiraling thoughts inside his head. He was a monster. His dream might have been just a dream, but when he turned into a wolf, that was what would happen, how he would think. The hunger inside would consume him.

Then Ben’s forehead pressed against his, and the world went quiet. Carlos stared into Ben’s warm green eyes. He about melted into Ben’s arms, the king’s grip on his shoulders the only thing keeping him upright.

“Carlos, please listen to me.”

He could feel Ben’s breath on his mouth. His lips were so close. A few inches and he could be kissing the king. Carlos caught himself, pulling back suddenly. He stumbled into the couch and clutched his chest.

“Sorry, I’m okay. You just startled me.”

Ben chuckled. “That was kind of the point.”

Carlos tilted his head, scrunching his eyes together, as if staring closer at Ben would help him understand. “Point for what?”

“To get you to snap out of your thoughts. I could tell you were panicking.”

Carlos nodded, tugging at a curl nervously. “Right. Of course. That makes sense.” Of course it wouldn’t be anything romantic. Ben was the king of Auradon after all. He wouldn’t go kissing werewolves behind closed doors.

Ben smiled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Anyways, what I was trying to say earlier was that you wouldn’t have killed me. You licked my face, in a friendly way. I think you recognized me on some level. And that’s why I’m not afraid of you.”

“Well, that’s good then. I hope it’s true. I don’t ever want to hurt you. I’m sorry I freaked out just now. I had this dream that felt so real.” Carlos was still trying to push away the horrific images that plagued his mind. Even though he knew they were dreams, they felt like memories.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Ben asked.

Carlos shook his head. He thought he wanted to talk about the dream, but now that he was here it was too horrible to describe out loud. “I think I just needed to not be alone.”

“That makes sense. You can stay as long as you like. Though I do have a meeting at ten, but it shouldn’t last more than an hour or two. It’s about two in the morning right now.”

Carlos nodded. “I’d like to stay. Oh, but I don’t want to keep you up. You should get some sleep before your meeting.”

Ben chuckled. “Don’t worry about me. I function on little sleep all the time.” His last word was cut off by a yawn. He clapped a hand to his mouth as if embarrassed.

Carlos crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow. “You’re tired. Get some sleep. I’ll be okay. I’ll just go back to my room and play video games or something.”

“No,” Ben said, grabbing Carlos’s hand. “You can stay, really. I’ll just lie down on my bed. You can play games on my TV. It’s fine.”

Carlos hesitated. His heart would feel a lot better if he went back to his room, but the dreams would just send him running back to Ben again. He might as well stay. He sat on the floor at the edge of the bed with the controller.

“Don’t you want to sit on the bed?” Ben asked. “It’s more comfortable.”

“I’m fine here,” Carlos said, turning his head away from the king to hide his blush.

…

Ben awoke to find Carlos curled up like a puppy on the floor. He remembered Carlos telling him that Cruella used to make him sleep on a lumpy mattress on the floor without blankets or pillows. Evie had given him his first pillow when they became friends. Ben guessed some habits were hard to kick.

He pushed a soft pillow under Carlos’s head and draped his blanket over him. He was glad he seemed to be sleeping soundly now. Hopefully the nightmares would stay away for a while.

Ben couldn’t stay long. He’d overslept a little and needed to get ready for his meeting. As it was, he would barely have time to comb his hair and change into his kingly attire. He missed the days where he could wear whatever he wanted.

Lumiere knocked on the door to inform him that the guards were ready to take him to the council room. Ben was careful to shield Carlos from view as he stepped out of the room. The last thing he needed was more rumors to spread about him and Carlos. It was bad enough Snow White had written that dumb article and confirmed that the limo driver and servants at King George’s castle were gossiping about them.

Ben found the council room packed. It seemed like every group of people in Auradon had a representative. The dwarves had sent Grumpy, much to Ben’s dismay. Two of Cinderella’s mice were whispering to Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather.

Each kingdom also had a representative, which included King Triton’s daughter Andrina and her husband, who had never come to a meeting such as this before. Even Aladdin and King Arthur had graced him with their presence. He also spotted a few villains that had moved to Auradon--Mal’s dad Hades, for one, and Madame Mim, the shapeshifting witch who had plagued Camelot.

“Thank you all for coming,” Ben announced, doing his best to hide his surprise. “We are coming upon the two year anniversary of the taking down of the barrier. As we did last year, we’ll be hosting another formal ball here at the palace. Invitations have been sent out to the brightest and noblest in Auradon.”

Hades raised a glove-clad hand.

A shiver went down Ben’s spine. Mal’s dad hadn’t gotten any nicer to him since they broke up. He was cold and prickly, like a porcupine with ice quills. “Yes, Dad? I mean Hades...” He felt his face burning bright red.

Hades merely arched an eyebrow. “We don’t think it’s fair that only certain people are invited to the ball. And no, it’s not because I was left off the invite list. The reformed are unhappy that they are continuously excluded, even though you have supposedly opened your doors to us.”

_ Reformed. _ The new word for old inhabitants of the Isle of the Lost who now lived in Auradon. Some of them were truly reformed and trying their best to be good people, but it was hard to tell who was genuine and who was faking it. Crime had increased so much since the barrier had been taken down.

“The guests must feel safe,” Ben said calmly. “I’ve invited all of the children who used to live on the Isle.”

“Because they’re all saints? With all due respect, King Benjamin, you can’t hold a party saying you’ve opened doors for everyone when you’ve only opened them for a select few. Come on, what do all you heroes think?”

Most of the Auradon natives shifted uncomfortably in their seats.

“I think it’s not fair,” Aladdin said. “Back in my day, I did the same petty crimes as many of the people of the Isle. Stealing to survive didn’t make me a bad person. So why was I invited to your fancy party, but not Hades or Madam Mim?”

Ben swallowed hard. At the last meeting the council had been adamant that they wanted the party to be safe. No former villains, only their kids could be invited. He was surprised to see more people against that idea this time.

It reminded him of the meeting where Mal had suggested closing the barrier once and for all. Later, when she changed her mind, he’d agreed to take down the barrier because it was the right thing to do, because he’d seen how the people of the Isle suffered, because he’d met not only Mal and her friends, but Uma and her crew. All people who didn’t deserve to be labelled as villains.

But now that the barrier was down, the true villains had been taking advantage of that. Newspaper circulated every day now, each with a new story of some villainous crime. And it wasn’t just the former Isle inhabitants commiting crimes, several “heroes” had taken the opportunity to have their revenge on their enemies. Some days he felt like he was watching the world burn.

It was what he hated most about being king. He hated being the one who had to make these decisions. He knew what his father had done was wrong. Locking up all the villains together and feeding them Auradon’s spoiled food was a recipe for disaster. It was cruel and selfish, done in the name of protecting people.

Ben didn’t want to be like that, but he didn’t want to keep hearing news that his citizens were being robbed, maimed, and murdered. “I’m sorry, but my decision is final. If I invite the reformed, none of my people will feel safe enough to show up.”

He realized it was the wrong thing to say as soon as it left his mouth. The room filled with voices arguing. He heard the word “hypocrite” being tossed around. Hades had his teeth bared, his hair flaming blue.

“I’m done with these meetings,” Hades said. “Why invite me to represent the Reformed on your council if you don’t even consider me one of your citizens?” With that, Hades spun around, his leather coat flapping dramatically as he stormed out of the room. Madam Mim followed, along with a few sidekicks.

Aladdin stood up. “You are selfish, King Ben. Find another solution. Otherwise Agrabah will no longer consider you our king.” He followed the others out of the room.

“That’s not what I meant. You’re all taking this the wrong way. I just meant I want my people to feel safe.”

“_Your _people,” Yen Sid called out. The old sorcerer pointed an accusatory finger at him. “Take a look around you, King Ben. The lines between heroes and villains are blurred. Your almost queen was smarter than you. She knew that good and evil could come from either side of the barrier. We are all equal. Your father deemed me a hero, and yet I chose to go to the Isle and educate those trapped there. I knew what you yourself don’t seem to grasp. Villains aren’t born that way. They make difficult choices when their goals are threatened, just like your supposed heroes. You need to start thinking of everyone in Auradon as your citizens, or you’ll lose the crown.”

Ben wanted to argue that he did think of everyone as his citizen, but his mother had arrived. “Please, everyone, we will hear your complaints one at a time,” she said.

Ben squeezed her shoulder, grateful to have some help. Running the kingdom without Mal was so much harder than he thought it would be.

…

Carlos woke to an empty room. Ben would be in his meeting by now, doing his kingly duties. Carlos pushed the blanket off himself and stood up. He stretched, his jaws parting in a painful yawn. His stomach rumbled.

He wasn’t sure if Ben wanted him to wait for him, or if he should go to the kitchens and get some breakfast. He was hungry, always so hungry. Maybe it was a werewolf thing. 

Carlos sighed, wandering around the room. He hadn’t paid much attention earlier since he’d had other things on his mind. Most of the pictures on the walls were of Auradon’s crest, along with some maps of the country, and there were a lot of boat figurines throughout the room. Carlos smiled to himself, remembering that Ben liked to sail and had many boats stored at the dock. Ben also had an exercise machine, a game table, and a desk piled up with papers.

His foot brushed against a piece of balled up paper on the floor. Curious, he picked it up and unfolded it. Just a notice confirming the meeting for today. Disappointed, Carlos walked over to the trash bin to throw it in.

A giant envelope was shoved into the bottom. Carlos picked it up and pulled out the papers inside. He was stunned to find pictures of himself and Ben from Jay and Mal’s wedding. But that wasn’t what had his heart racing. There was an article with Snow White’s name in the top corner.

Carlos had heard about these. Ben told him reporters often brought articles to him, demanding some sort of trade for not publishing them. Usually Ben just let them publish whatever garbage they wanted, or he’d pay a little for them to delay the article. He rarely agreed on completely pulling an article.

It must be something he really didn’t want to get out. Carlos read over the words, hardly believing his eyes. According to the article, Ben had a crush on him.

Carlos hugged the papers to his chest, trying to get himself to calm down. Just because Snow White wrote an article didn’t mean it was true. Reporters were notorious for lying. But why would Ben agree to trade a silly gossip article unless it had some truth to it?

The more Carlos thought about it, the more convinced he was. Ben was the one who had asked him to dance at the wedding. He’d complimented Carlos a lot that night. Called him a catch and handsome. He’d made sure to let Carlos know he didn’t have any feelings for Mal or Audrey, that he was totally single. And stupid Carlos had just complained about his hopeless crush on Jay.

No wonder Ben hadn’t said anything. He thought Carlos was still in love with Jay. And Ben had gone to great lengths to avenge him when he thought Carlos had been eaten by a wolf. Not many kings would put themselves in danger like that for a friend. He’d wanted Carlos to stay at his castle not just to protect him, but to be near him.

The way Ben had comforted him earlier and said without a doubt that he wasn’t afraid of him. He’d even offered Carlos a spot on his bed. God, he was such an idiot!

He needed to tell Ben how he felt. His heart felt like it would burst out of his chest. He stuck the papers back in the bin where he’d found them and went to the door to get some breakfast. He needed something to distract himself. As he pulled the door open, Ben pushed it inward.

Startled, he grabbed onto Ben’s arms. “Ben, sorry, I didn’t expect you back so soon.”

Ben sighed, frowning. “The meeting was a disaster.”

“Are you okay? Do you want to talk about it?”

Ben shook his head. “Thanks, Carlos, but I think I’m just going to go back to sleep. I’ve got a terrible headache.”

“Oh, yeah, you should do that.” Carlos would have to wait to tell Ben. He definitely wasn’t in the mood to hear a confession right now. “I was just going to get something to eat.”

Ben nodded. He looked worn out and pale. “Good idea. Oh, wait, Carlos, one more thing. We received word from your potential fathers. They’re all coming to the castle tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow? That’s so soon.” Carlos was expecting to have a few more days alone with Ben. He really wanted to tell him how he felt, but it would need to wait until after he interviewed his potential fathers.

Would he meet his dad? He was scared and nervous about it, but he really did need answers.

He knew it would be too foolish to hope for a father who would give him the love Cruella had denied him. But he hoped his dad would at least like him a little. Maybe that would be enough for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long chapter. Thanks for sticking around! I was excited to bring in some more characters in the council scene. Lots of easter eggs if you've read the Isle of the Lost books.
> 
> If you haven't, Yen Sid is from The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Madam Mim is the villain from The Sword and the Stone, and Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather are the fairies from Sleeping Beauty. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.
> 
> Comments and feedback are much appreciated.


	7. Who's the Father?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carlos meets his potential fathers and unlocks a secret about the past.

Carlos was a bundle of nerves in the morning. He could barely eat anything at brunch while he sat alone in the dining chamber. All he could do was glance at the clock every few minutes and wonder when his potential fathers would arrive. He pushed a grape across his plate, frowning at the food.

“Is it not to your liking?” Lumiere asked, appearing with the second course of spaghetti and meatballs.

“No, it’s fine. Sorry, I guess I’m just not that hungry.” Carlos looked around the room. “Where’s Ben? Shouldn’t he be coming?”

Lumiere set the plate of spaghetti on the table. “The master is not feeling his best, but he promised to be here for the afternoon interrogations.” Lumiere gave him a sympathetic look. “He will be here, Mr. De Vil.”

Carlos nodded. He didn’t know why, but he felt like seeing Ben would help calm him down. It had worked after his nightmare after all. And Ben liked him in that way. It was a comforting thought, but it made him even more anxious to see Ben.

A well-dressed servant walked in with a note for Lumiere. The old man chuckled as he read the note. Carlos looked at him questioningly. Lumiere obscured his smile with a handkerchief and cleared his throat.

“Cogsworth says two of the werewolves have arrived. We’ll send the first one in as soon as King Ben arrives.”

“Do I have to wait?” Carlos asked. As much as he wanted Ben to be here, he was anxious to meet these men.

“I suppose not. We will have guards stationed in here in case the visitors prove dangerous.” Lumiere inclined his head in a polite bow and left to inform Cogsworth to send in the first werewolf.

Carlos sat up straighter in his chair, trying to look as professional as possible. He’d worn one of his nicer outfits. Ben had sent for his belongings a few days ago, so he had most of his own wardrobe thankfully. It was a small piece of comfort in a precarious world.

Cogsworth stepped through the doors and bowed to Carlos. “Presenting Captain Don Karnage.” He stepped aside for a tall wolfman to walk through the doors.

The man swept him a low bow. He had a wolf’s face and was covered in red fur, but he wore a nice outfit, a blue coat with gold buttons and red cuffs. “May I?” he asked, gesturing to the seat across from Carlos.

“Yes, of course.”

Captain Don sat down and took Carlos’s hands into his own. “Carlos, my boy, it is an absolute despite to meet you. Many years have passed since I have seen your cherry brick face.”

Carlos tilted his head. Cherry brick? Did he mean cherubic? He pulled his hand away, uncomfortable. “Ah, well, I have some questions for you first.”

“Ask away,” Captain Don said. He snatched a grape from the food tray and popped it into his mouth.

“How did you meet my mother?”

“Your mother?” Captain Don froze mid-bite. “Ah, your mother of course. We met at a very fine party aboard the Jolly Roger.”

“Did you look like that?” Carlos asked, nodding to the man. “Or did the magical dome transform you to look human?”

“Oh, no. I looked exactly like this. Wolf is my defect, you see. I gained the ability to transfern into a human later on.”

Carlos grimaced, nodding. He meant _default _and _transform, _didn’t he? “That will be all for today, Captain Don. Thank you so much for coming.”

His mother would never have gone for a wolfman. The only way that could happen was if she didn’t know he was a wolf at the time. Not only that, but Captain Don didn’t seem smart enough to be his father. It was harsh, but he felt certain his father would have wits, even if he lacked book knowledge.

No, his dad had to be amazing. Or maybe his expectations were too high. He’d always dreamed of meeting his father. Since his mother wasn’t too smart, he was sure he’d gotten it from his dad. He’d imagined conversations about science, technology, and philosophy.

Cogsworth escorted the wolfman out of the room, thanking him profusely for giving them his time. He shot Carlos a glare over the man’s shoulder. Carlos shrugged. Disappointment made it hard to act polite, but he promised himself he would try harder with the next one.

“Presenting Dr. Wolfman.”

Carlos perked up. A doctor? That sounded promising. The man appeared as a human, with brown hair and pale skin. He wore a white lab coat. A doctor of science, it seemed. Carlos tried not to get excited too soon. He still had to interrogate the man.

Carlos stood up to shake his hand before they sat down. “How did you become a werewolf?” Carlos asked, then blushed, embarrassed. “Ah, sorry, that was rude. I should have started with an easier question.”

Dr. Wolfman shook his head. “No need to fret. That happens to be my favorite question to answer. I didn’t come into werewolfism in the usual way. I wasn’t bitten or born as a wolf. I engineered a formula that could transform anyone into a werewolf when injected with it. It was my crowning achievement before I was forced to live on the Isle of the Lost.”

Carlos asked detailed questions about the process, which Dr. Wolfman was able to answer with no trouble. No idiot would be able to make this up. Even if Dr. Wolfman was lying about the formula, he was clearly smart enough to be Carlos’s dad.

“How did you meet my mother?” he asked.

“She was after fur and heard I had a way of getting some. I helped her out, and we just hit it off from there.”

“Why did you leave?”

Dr. Wolfman sighed, looking out into the distance. “I was obsessed with science, still am. She got tired of me talking about it and kicked me out. Besides, I don’t think I ever met her standards of style.” He laughed.

Carlos was on the edge of his seat. This was his father. It had to be. He never thought he’d actually get the chance to meet him. He tried to keep calm and not get overexcited yet. He still hadn’t asked the most important question.

“If we were to reconnect, what would you want out of this?” Carlos twisted a curl nervously.

“I would want to be your father. Properly this time. I’ll take the money the king offers me and spend it on your education.”

“The king is offering you money?” Carlos asked, his heart sinking. That didn’t sound like Ben. He knew Carlos liked to earn things himself and would never just give him a handout.

Dr. Wolfman opened his mouth and closed it several times. “Sorry, I just assumed he would since he cares about you so much. You are one of his closest friends, yes?”

Carlos lifted his chin. Something about this didn’t feel right. Was Dr. Wolfman only here for the money? He was pretty confident this man was his father, but if he only wanted to be in his life if it meant he would get paid for it, Carlos didn’t want that.

“Thank you for coming, Dr. Wolfman, but I’m afraid our time is up. You need to leave.”

Dr. Wolfman seemed shocked, and Cogsworth gave Carlos an even sharper glare as he escorted the scientist out.

Carlos felt sick to his stomach. His father didn’t really want him. Who would?

“Merlock is running late,” Lumiere informed him. “Would you like any more food while you wait? Or something to drink, Mr. De Vil?”

Carlos shook his head. He wouldn’t be able to stomach anything new.

He leaned his elbow on the table, resting his chin on his hand, and twirled the cold spaghetti noodles on his plate with a fork. He wished Ben were here. He’d only seen Ben for a few minutes this morning. He’d been distant, lost in his own thoughts. Whatever happened at the meeting was clearly bothering him. If only Ben would talk about it, instead of closing himself off.

Carlos heard a commotion outside the door.

“You can’t go in there. Only Merlock can enter.”

The doors burst open, and a tall, slim man stepped through. He was pale as night, his eyes like glittering emeralds, with sleek black hair. Carlos had never seen him before. He definitely wasn’t one of the three men Ben had showed him on the computer.

“Carlos, allow me to introduce myself,” he said, bowing low. “I am known in your history books as the Big Bad Wolf. You may have heard of me.”

Carlos raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. He’d heard the stories of course. The Big Bad Wolf tried time and again to blow down the house of three little pigs.

A slow, dangerous smile spread across the man’s face. “What you have heard is a lie.”

The doors burst open again, and Ben came rushing through, sword raised. “Get away from him. I won’t let you hurt Carlos.”

The man flicked his wrist, and Ben’s sword clattered to the ground. Ben looked at it, stunned. “Carlos, whoever he says he is, he’s lying.”

“On the contrary, I have lied my whole life. This time, however, I’m ready to tell the truth.”

Carlos raised his chin, doing his best not to show any fear. So the guy could do a little magic. So what? Carlos was friends with a dragon.

“You need to leave now, or I’ll summon the guards,” Ben said. “A few nights in the dungeons will teach you a lesson.”

The man took a seat at the table, unfazed by his threats. “I’m the boy’s father. Weren’t you the king trying to reunite us? It wouldn’t do to stand in our way, now would it?”

“I don’t believe you,” Ben said, snatching up his sword. The metal glowed, and Ben dropped it again, yelping.

The man casually folded his hands under his chin. “Now, where were we? Yes, I’m your father, Carlos. The Big Bad Wolf. Though most people know me by a different name.”

Carlos shifted in his seat. He was fairly certain Dr. Wolfman was his father, and this man was just another villain trying to trick him. He didn’t believe a word he was saying. He’d already admitted to being a compulsive liar. Why should Carlos bother listening to him?

“What name?” Ben demanded.

The man smirked. “Oscar.”

Carlos stifled a gasp. Oscar? That was his middle name. No one knew it except his mother and his closest friends. How did this liar find out?

“You were named after me,” he said, as if he’d read Carlos’s mind. “On the Isle, I taught _History of the Isle_ at Serpent Prep.”

“How come I’ve never met you then?” Carlos demanded. He was feeling less sure of his own doubts. A history teacher… Would there be a way to verify that?

“Your mother didn’t learn my identity as the Big Bad Wolf until after you were born. Needless to say, she was furious. She said if she ever saw me again, she’d turn me into a coat. So I had to watch you from afar. You looked so much like your mother, I thought for sure you hadn’t inherited my gifts. And yet…” He twisted a silver ring around his finger. It had a wolf engraved on it.

“How did you even hear about Carlos? We kept his werewolfism a secret from the press,” Ben said. “Who told you?”

“I didn’t need to hear it from anyone. I sensed him, the first time he shifted. And I headed here, only to catch wind from a certain wolf that you were holding auditions.”

“That’s not what this is,” Ben said. “We gathered a list of known werewolves.”

“Keyword: known. I’ve kept my two identities separate for years. Everyone believes the Big Bad Wolf to be just a wolf, but I am so much more than that. So much smarter than that.”

“So why now?”

“Carlos needs me,” Oscar said, nodding to him. “The shift is scary in the beginning. Without me, he’ll have a hard time gaining control over it, and he’ll never learn how to use certain abilities that I think he would find very useful.” He grinned wickedly.

“I don’t want to be bad,” Carlos said. “I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

“And you don’t have to. But if you don’t let me teach you a thing or two, you will inevitably hurt someone. Maybe even someone you care about. Maybe even your king.”

Carlos played with the tail keychain on his belt loop. He didn’t trust this man. Even if they turned out to be related, he could tell that letting him into his life was a bad idea. He was dangerous. He literally had the word bad in his name. Big Bad. That did not bode well.

Still, he didn’t want to end up hurting any of his friends, especially Ben. “You’ll need to pass Fairy Godmother’s tests,” Carlos said. “To prove you’re really my...related to me.”

Oscar nodded. “Of course. Bring on your tests.”

...

Ben sent a servant to get Fairy Godmother. She was on standby in the library, just in case Carlos wanted the testing to be done. It didn’t take her long to perform the tests.

When she was finished, her mouth was set in a deep frown. She pulled Ben and Carlos into another room so she could give them the results. “He’s a werewolf most definitely. But he’s also a sorcerer.”

Ben and Carlos exchanged a look. “We know.”

Fairy Godmother nodded. “Yes, but not just any sorcerer. His magic imprint matches that of a particular wizard. What I mean to say is, this man is Merlin’s son.”

“What?” Carlos asked, shocked. “But I thought the old man never had any children.”

“Well, he did. With a werewolf woman. Many years before the Isle of the Lost was formed. He didn’t grow up to be good like his father though. I imagine it must be tough to live up to Merlin’s expectations. Such a great wizard. Even my own Jane nearly turned against me, you remember.”

Carlos nodded. Ben’s coronation had nearly been ruined when Jane stole Fairy Godmother’s wand to try to make herself beautiful. She’d accidentally opened the barrier and let Maleficent in. He shuddered at the memory.

“Carlos, he is your father. Which means…”

“Merlin is my grandfather,” Carlos said, stunned. He was related to the great Merlin, wizard of Camelot. Did that mean he could do magic?

Ben put a hand on Carlos’s shoulder. “You don’t have to do anything with him. You can talk to Merlin instead. He’s a whole lot nicer.”

“But he’s not a werewolf,” Carlos said. “He won’t be able to understand what I’m going through, not like Oscar can. I’m sorry, Ben, but I want to speak with Oscar.”

“Don’t be sorry. You can’t help who your father is, and you deserve to have some answers. At least now we know he was telling the truth, and we can set up a meeting with your grandfather.” Ben smiled reassuringly.

“Thanks, Ben.”

It felt so good to have Ben’s attention again. The worries from this morning were clearly still there, lingering under Ben’s gaze, but Carlos knew his priorities had shifted. Right now Carlos came first. His heart warmed at the thought.

...

When Ben returned with the Big Bad Wolf, Carlos asked to speak with him alone. No guards either. Ben looked hesitant, but he finally conceded. “Just be careful,” he warned. “Call me if you need me.”

Carlos nodded, grateful.

The Big Bad Wolf was smirking as he walked into the room. “Well, it’s nice to finally be treated with some respect. That little king reminds me too much of King Arthur. I knew him when he was younger, you see. He was always a prat, quick to pick up his sword and defend his dumb knights.”

“Did you have any friends?” Carlos asked.

Oscar’s mouth twitched as he sat down at the table. “I’ve had companions. For a time. But I’m not much of a pack animal.”

“Ah, a lone wolf.” Carlos wasn’t surprised. His dad wasn’t the least bit friendly. Mal’s dad Hades seemed like a saint in comparison.

“The opposite of you, clearly.” Oscar smiled, looking genuinely nice for a moment. “You already have a pack. A dragon and a beast aren’t too bad to have on your team.”

Carlos sighed. He really didn’t like that people still called Ben a beast. Audrey’s curse was long gone. “I have questions for you.”

“Of course. I’m all ears.”

“Am I supposed to remember my transformations? Because I don’t remember anything.”

Oscar frowned, stroking his chin. “That is not unusual in the beginning.”

“So I’ll be able to remember eventually?”

Oscar grinned. “You could remember right now if you wanted. I can show you how.”

Carlos sat up eagerly. “Please. I want to know what happened.”

“You want to know if you hurt anyone.” Oscar leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “I can help you access your memories of the lost time. Close your eyes, think about the moment right before you turned. Ignore your emotions. Try to be completely calm. Now think about the smells, and it should come back to you.”

Carlos closed his eyes, following his dad’s instructions. He tried to think of the night after the wedding, but instead another memory came to him. He remembered the smell of the cookies in the old woman’s house. It was so vivid, he could almost taste them on his tongue.

The room came into view. He was standing by the oven, leaning in to check on the cookies. He hit his head on the hot metal, and his body changed. Carlos was horrified to see the shift. It looked excruciatingly painful. His muscles screamed with the memory of it, and he clutched his arms tightly.

The old woman ran into the kitchen to check on him. She froze when she saw him, her eyes wide with fear. He chased her, snarling. All around the house until they were in the kitchen again. He leapt at her and tore into her stomach, blood flying everywhere.

She backed up and tripped, grabbing the edge of the oven door out of instinct, and shut the oven on herself. She screamed and pushed at the door. Carlos growled at her, banging his paws against the door, eager to rip her to shreds.

When the woman stopped screaming, he curled up in front of her and went to sleep.

Carlos was crying when he opened his eyes. “I killed her. That’s why she was gone. She wasn’t out looking for help. Oh, god. I even left her a note thanking her.”

Oscar rubbed Carlos’s arm. “It’s okay, pup. You can’t control it yet. When the wolf takes over, all you can think about is eating. That will change though.”

Carlos wasn’t used to such affection from a parent. It made him feel worse. He pushed Oscar’s hand away and stood up. “No, I don’t want anything to do with you. Get out of here.”

“Carlos, please, let me help you.”

“I don’t need your help!” Carlos screamed, tears in his eyes.

“You do. Look at yourself. Look how angry you are. You might transform any moment.”

Carlos shook his head. “You think this is anger? You really don’t know me at all. Get out.”

Oscar set a piece of paper onto the table. “There’s my card if you need anything.”

“I won’t,” Carlos said between gritted teeth.

Oscar lifted his hands in surrender. “All right. I’ll be on my way.” He smiled without malice. “I’m just glad to see you’ve grown up to be tough. You’ll get through this. With or without my help.” Then he strolled out of the room, his shoulders slumped.

Carlos collapsed onto his chair, all the fight gone out of him. He’d killed someone. It was his worst fear, and he’d had it confirmed. And he’d killed that nice old lady out of all people.

He wanted to disappear, or hide somewhere the guilt couldn’t reach. But he could feel it in his veins like poison. He’d never be the same again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Captain Don Karnage is from the Disney show TaleSpin and Dr. Wolfman is from Future-Worm! Merlock (only mentioned) is from DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp, and the Big Bad Wolf is from the short "The Three Little Pigs." In the Isle of the Lost books, Carlos reveals his middle name to be Oscar.
> 
> Comments would be lovely, thanks!


	8. The Dark Horse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carlos and Ben encounter trouble on the way to Camelot. Thankfully they run into an unexpected ally.

Carlos stared out the window of the carriage, resting his chin on his fist. The carriage rocked side to side from the uneven ground, like a swaying ship in a stormy sea. He felt sick to his stomach, but he couldn’t say a word to Ben.

Shame crawled deep inside his skin. It clawed at him like vicious talons, threatening to consume him. He kept his eyes open, focused on the blur of trees as they passed through Sherwood Forest. They were headed to Camelot to see Merlin since Carlos refused to speak to his father ever again.

Ben couldn’t even hide his relief. Carlos had seen it plain as day. He thought of Carlos’s father as a villain, a monster, a killer. What would he think if he knew Carlos was one too?

The carriage lurched suddenly, and Ben caught Carlos’s hand to steady him. Carlos pulled away like he’d been burnt by the touch. He peered outside the carriage window. They’d stopped moving, and the dozen guards required to escort the king had surrounded the carriage, weapons raised.

“Someone’s here,” Carlos said. He moved closer to the window to press his face against the glass.

“Watch out!” Ben tackled him to the carriage floor as a blast of fire arched across the sky. It crashed into the side of the carriage. Fire licked at the blue paneling along the door and spread towards them.

Carlos coughed from the smoke. He could barely see anything. They would suffocate if they stayed in the carriage. He grabbed Ben’s shoulders and lifted him up.

“Come on, Ben. Wake up.” He slapped his face.

Swords clanged outside. The guards were oblivious to their king suffocating in the carriage. Carlos thought they should all be fired for being completely incompetent at protecting their king. He dragged Ben to the carriage door on the opposite side and pushed it open. As soon as the fresh air hit them, Ben coughed and rolled over.

“What’s going on?”

Carlos helped him to his feet. “We need to run. Now!”

They didn’t catch much of a glimpse of the attackers. Several figures clad in black. One with a glowing staff. Definitely bad news.

They ran without paying attention to where they were going. Carlos was roughly following the stream, zigzagging so they would be difficult to track. He could smell where the carriage was, so he knew they were heading away from it. It was one of the few perks of being a werewolf that had started ever since he unlocked that memory.

Whether they were heading towards Camelot or away from it remained to be seen. They stumbled down a hilly section of the woods. Ben’s foot slid across a pile of leaves, and Carlos grabbed him.

“Sorry,” Ben mumbled, brushing leaves off his suit. “Lost my footing.”

Carlos noticed Ben’s clothes. Richly made and bright friggin’ yellow. “Take off your jacket.”

“What?”

“Take off your jacket. You’re like a neon sign.”

Ben pulled it off hesitantly. Carlos ripped it from his grasp and hurled it in the direction they’d come from. He checked the rest of Ben’s clothes. A navy blue button up shirt. That was fine, but he discarded Ben’s bright yellow tie. He looked down at Ben’s pants and sighed. Black pants. They should be safe.

He was so relieved Ben wasn’t wearing a matching suit like he normally did. He didn’t think he could handle running around with a half-naked king. Hopefully the long-sleeved shirt would be enough to keep Ben warm. It wasn’t like he had much of a choice.

It was a cold evening for summertime. In fact it had been record-breakingly chilly all summer. There were rumors that disgruntled villains were playing with weather magic, and Carlos didn’t doubt it. Maybe those were the same people who attacked the carriage... 

“What about your hair?” Ben asked.

“What about it?”

“It’s mostly white, stands out quite a lot.”

Carlos bit his lip. Ben was right, but he didn’t have any spare scraps of cloth to cover it. He’d left all his luggage behind in the burning carriage. “It’ll be fine,” he said, waving it off.

Ben pulled something from his back pocket. A dark beanie. Carlos recognized it from when Ben had gone to the Isle to chase after Mal. “I thought it might get cold,” Ben explained.

Carlos accepted it, grateful, and pulled it over his curly white hair. “Thanks.”

“It’s going to be dark soon. We need to find somewhere to camp for the night.”

“We can’t stop,” Carlos said. “They’ll find us.”

“I’m sure they already stole what they wanted and left.”

Carlos looked at Ben in disbelief. “They’re after you, Ben. They attacked the royal carriage and sent a fireball right at us. They were trying to kill you.”

“Right, yeah, I know you’re probably right. I’d just rather give them the benefit of the doubt.”

“The benefit of the doubt will get you killed. I’m sorry, Ben, but this is a big deal. You can’t act like what just happened doesn’t matter. They might have horses or dogs that can track us. We don’t have the luxury to relax in comfort.”

Ben nodded. “I trust you, Carlos. Where should we go?”

Carlos stopped walking so he could sniff the air. The carriage was quite a ways back, but he caught the distinct smell of a campfire up ahead. “How do you feel about a little thievery?”

Ben sighed. “I suppose there’s no helping it.”

Darkness closed in around them. They heard people laughing. Flickers of firelight shone through the trees. Carlos had warned Ben to stay close to him. They had to be quiet, like thieves in the night…

There were four horses tied to the trees near an open grove where a few people gathered. Carlos only needed one horse. He studied them carefully, trying to judge which would be the fastest from their apparent age, health, and strength. The black mare looked the most promising.

Carlos made soft cooing sounds as he approached the horse. His hands were outstretched, and he kept his eyes on the powerful creature. “It’s okay, girl. I just need to borrow you for a little while.”

The horse whinnied, shaking its mane, and backed up a step.

“It’s okay,” Carlos said again. He took a slow step forward and then another until he was close enough to pet the horse. She pressed her nose against him. “That a girl.”

She still had a saddle on. That would make this that much easier. He put a foot into the stirrup and pushed off the ground.

“Now what would you be doing with my girl?”

Carlos whirled around to see a tall dark man with an eye patch holding Ben, a hand clamped over his mouth. None other than Harry Hook stepped closer to Carlos, grinning like he’d caught a new toy to play with.

“It’s not what it looks like,” Carlos said.

“Oh, I see,” Harry said, “so you’re not trying to steal my horse?”

Carlos rubbed his arm, glancing over at the horse. “I’m sorry. We’re in a pretty tight situation right now. Ben’s carriage was attacked. We only just made it out alive, and we’re trying to get far away from the people who attacked us.”

“Well, well, well, that is quite the predicament,” Harry said. “And you just so happened to pick my horse?”

“I didn’t know it was your horse. She just looked the fastest, and her coat is dark, so she would be ideal for getting away.”

“And where exactly were you planning to go off to this time of night? Have you ever been in these woods before?”

“Only the edges near campus,” Carlos admitted. “We were just going to ride until—”

“Until you exhausted my horse.” Harry shook his head disapprovingly. “Well, that will nae do, now will it? You can’t be riding through these woods alone. You need someone who’s an expert on this area. Someone who knows a safe place to hide.”

“Well, I guess I’m shit out of luck,” Carlos said. Though he knew Harry fit those criteria, and if he could trick Harry into thinking he was rescuing them, they might just have a way to safety after all.

“Oh, I’ve missed you,” Harry said, his eyes glittering. He twirled the hook in his hands and cast a sideways glance at Ben, then looked at Carlos full on. He was clearly expecting Carlos to beg, but he wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

“So what are you going to do to us? Lock us up? Throw us on whatever sad excuse you’re calling a ship these days.”

Harry’s lip twitched. “Well, that’s no way to talk to your savior.”

Carlos snorted. “Savior? You? You won’t even lend us your horse.”

“I’ll do you one better,” Harry said, walking right into Carlos’s trap. “I’ll take you to the safe place myself. Big Murph can take you on the back of his horse, and I’ll take the king.”

“Hold up,” Carlos said. “I’m not letting Ben ride with you. Who knows what you’ll do with him. Or say to him. I’ll ride with you, and he can ride with Big Murph.”

A muscle feathered in Harry’s jaw. He clearly hadn’t expected Carlos to argue back. Had he forgotten how much fire Carlos could have when he wanted?

“Suit yourself,” Harry said at last.

...

They rode through the night at an impressive pace. Carlos felt like they were running in circles, but he could smell that they were getting closer to something. They were just taking a very roundabout way to get there.

Hopefully Harry wasn’t doing it just to mess with him.

As the horse leapt over a fallen branch, Carlos grabbed onto Harry out of instinct. Embarrassed, he pulled his hands away. God, this could not be more awkward. Why had he insisted on riding with Harry again?

He glanced back at Ben, relieved to see he was right behind them on the horse with Big Murph. He was riding in front of Big Murph rather than behind like Carlos.

“Are we almost there?” Carlos asked.

“Near enough. Have a little patience, eh?”

Carlos rolled his eyes. Harry was one to talk. He never had the patience for anything, often jumping into rash decisions out of boredom. It had gained him the reputation of being a bit mad, though Carlos wouldn’t describe him that way. Harry was wild, like an untamed animal. It was quite a bit different than insanity.

He pulled Ben’s hat over his ears. It was cold on the horse with the wind whipping across his face. If he would just cradle into Harry’s back it wouldn’t be so bad, but he couldn’t bring himself to get that close to his ex. Just these inches separating them set Carlos’s heart racing.

He didn’t think he’d ever be over Harry. Not really.

The horses slowed, and Harry held up a hand. A warning to be quiet. He led the horses under an archway of crisscrossing branches. It was dark, the only sound the hum of insects. The tunnel of trees continued for several yards before Harry ducked under some low hanging branches.

Carlos nearly fell off the horse trying to dodge them, but Harry caught his arm. “Careful, love,” he whispered.

“What?”

Harry shushed him, though Carlos could see even in the dim light that his cheeks had reddened. Had it just been a slip of the tongue? An old habit. Carlos decided not to pay much mind to it. Trying to make sense of the things Harry did had never gotten him anywhere.

They were traveling under a weeping willow now, the fronds brushing them like fingers threatening to scoop them up. Two squares of light shone through the gray fog. As they got nearer and nearer, Carlos could see it was the windows of a cottage. Harry led them into a stable adjacent to the cottage and hopped off his horse. He held out a hand to help Carlos down, but he stubbornly refused it.

“What is this place?” Ben asked.

“You’ll see,” Harry said, enigmatic as usual.

Big Murph tended to the horses while Harry led the way through a door into the cottage. Inside it was warm and cozy, lace doilies draped over the couches and armchairs. The smell of bacon was heavy in the air, making Carlos’s mouth water.

Gil came through the doorway, arms open wide. “Harry, you’re back already! Oh, and you’ve brought company.” He pulled off his oven mit and tossed it onto an armchair. “King Ben, hey!” He shook Ben’s hand eagerly. “And Carlos. Wow, guys! We haven’t had visitors in a long time.”

“We?” Carlos asked.

Jane came through the door, all smiles. She was as beautiful as ever, her brown hair styled in a wavy bob, blue eyes sparkling. She wore a blue dress and an apron with the words “We Ride with the Tide” printed on it. Uma’s old slogan.

“Carlos, Ben! You didn’t tell me you were coming.” She ran over to give them both hugs, giddy with excitement. “We’ve made plenty of food, so you’re welcome to join us for dinner.”

“Yes, please,” Carlos said before he could stop himself.

Ben sighed. “We might as well eat. Are you sure we’re safe here?”

Harry laughed, a tad maniacally. “As safe as you can be among pirates. Uma’s got this place spelled, so no one else will be getting in. Not to worry, King Benny.”

They made their way into the kitchen. Jane hurriedly set out more plates to accommodate everyone.

“Are you eating with us, Murphy?” she asked.

Carlos jumped. He hadn’t even noticed Big Murph come in behind them.

The pirate shook his head. “I’m heading back to camp. Desiree and Bonny are waiting for me.”

Jane handed him a paper bag. “Take some desserts for later. I’m sure Desiree and Bonny will love them.”

Big Murph beamed. “Thanks, Jane. See you guys.” And then he headed back the way they’d come.

“Is Uma coming?” Jane asked Harry.

He shrugged. “I texted her to let her know we were here, but I don’t know what she’s up to. She’s got a mind of her own, that one.”

“That’s what you like about her,” Jane said, pushing his shoulder playfully.

A soft smile flashed across Harry’s face before he settled back into his usual smirk. He walked over to the island in the kitchen and plucked an apple out of a basket. He took a large bite out of it before he caught Carlos staring. Harry gave him a menacing look, snapping his teeth together.

Carlos looked away. He walked over to the table to sit down next to Ben.

Jane and Gil served the food onto their plates, then sat down across from them. “It looks very good,” Gil said. “You’re so talented, Jane.” He was smiling wide, looking absolutely blissful.

“Thanks, but don’t forget to claim credit. You did half of it, and you did an amazing job,” she said. They nuzzled noses and then Gil kissed her, running a hand through her hair. Jane grabbed his hand and set it down gently. “Not now, Gil. We have company.”

“Right,” Gil said, turning back to them. “It’s totally okay to kiss at the table though, so if you guys want to, we don’t mind.”

Carlos and Ben looked at each other, eyebrows raised.

“Oh, I meant if you come with your girlfriends later. Or boyfriends.” He grinned. “Boyfriends are cool too.”

“Well, I have neither,” Ben said with a laugh, “but thanks, Gil. I’ll keep that in mind for the future.”

Gil smiled proudly. “Oh, and Carlos.” His face turned serious. “Jane is mine now. I’ve put a ring on her, so like, don’t think you can have her back.”

Jane giggled. “Gil, you have nothing to worry about.” She took his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I love you.”

Carlos was feeling a little sick to his stomach with how grossly adorable they were together. He’d never been that lovesick around Jane, had he? Back when he thought he was straight—or bi, if he was being honest. He’d never thought he was straight.

It was weird being at a dinner table with his ex-girlfriend, his ex-boyfriend, and his current crush. Not to mention the guy who was married to his ex-girlfriend and had dated his previous crush for a bit. He still couldn’t understand why Jay had dated Gil. He was good looking and sweet, but he lacked intelligence and the thirst for knowledge, which Carlos found essential in any romantic partner.

“I’m back,” came an ominous voice.

They turned to the door to see Uma striding through. She was wearing a beautiful aqua shirt that shimmered like fish scales and dark leather pants. Her boots clicked against the wooden floor boards as she sauntered around the table to sit in Harry’s lap. She wrapped an arm around his neck and kicked her feet up on the table.

“So what brings everyone together tonight? Thought we weren’t doing a big meal until Saturday.” Her eyes caught on Ben and Carlos, and her smile slid into a smirk. “I see. A feast for a king.” She turned to Harry. “Babe, you should’ve told me we’d be dining with royalty tonight. I’d have worn my ‘Down with Auradon’ shirt.”

Harry laughed. “I didn’t know myself. Caught this lot running away from something or other.”

Uma picked a grape off Harry’s plate and plopped it into her mouth. She chewed slowly, as if savoring the taste. It was like she wanted them all to watch her and feel some spark of desire.

Carlos felt nothing, but girls never really did it for him. He glanced over at Ben to see if he was responding to her, but he wasn’t even looking at Uma. He was pushing food across his plate with his fork.

Uma huffed, unsatisfied. “Anyways, I’m here now so you can relax. Whatever’s chasing you can’t be scarier than me. God, I love magic.” She cackled like the sea witch she was.

“We don’t know who’s chasing us,” Ben admitted. “They attacked the royal carriage. Carlos and I barely got away. Honestly if it weren’t for Carlos, I’d be dead…”

The severity of the situation hit Carlos like a lightning bolt. He’d just been reacting to the danger. He hadn’t even realized that he’d saved Ben’s life. He’d never really thought of himself as a hero, even when he and his friends had saved Auradon time and again.

Gil was looking at him with a reverent awe that Carlos found unnerving. Jane looked so proud of him—she’d always believed he was more heroic than he thought. Even Harry looked caught off guard. Uma, however, didn’t look the least bit impressed.

“Where were you heading?”

“Camelot. We need to see Merlin,” Ben said.

Carlos shot him a warning glance. He didn’t want Ben telling them about his family connection. If Uma thought he could do magic, she might not want to help them.

“Well, Sherwood Forest can be pretty dangerous. It’s filled with bandits and—”

“No, it wasn’t bandits,” Carlos said. He flinched back when he realized he’d interrupted her. “Sorry, I just mean, they had someone who could do magic. They blew up the carriage while we were in it. That was definitely an attempt on Ben’s life.”

Uma nodded, considering. “Fair point. With the barrier gone, a lot of villains have been coming into Auradon. I’m sure you know the homeless population has tripled. It wouldn’t be unreasonable for a group of these displaced villains to retaliate against the ruler who won’t afford them the same options as their children.”

“We don’t have enough houses to give everyone a place to live,” Ben argued. “Even some native Auradon citizens don’t have anywhere to live. There’s only so much we can do.”

Uma scoffed. “You could do more and you know it. Fairy Godmother could build new islands, spring forth homes from nothing, but you’re still going with your ‘restrict magic because it’s dangerous’ campaign. People are turning against you, beasty boy. It’s only a matter of time before a rebellion strikes.”

Jane gasped. “You really think people would rebel.”

“I’ve already heard talk of it,” Uma said. “They think I’m as ready to turn this country upside down as they are. If you don’t do something about it, you’re going to have more than assassins coming after you. It’s going to be whole armies.”

Ben shifted in his seat, his face looking ghostly pale. “I’ll think about it. Thanks, Uma.” He went back to pushing food around his plate.

Uma stared at him, looking offended. “Aren’t you going to ask for my help?”

Ben sat up straight, startled. “What? Oh, I didn’t think you’d want to help.”

“Who helped save Auradon from Audrey when she went dark? You’d still be a stone statue if it weren’t for me, both of you. I care about this place, and I don’t know what business you have in Camelot, but if you’re traveling there yourself, it must be important. Let me help you get there. I’ll make sure you don’t get killed along the way.”

Ben seemed surprised. “Are you sure? I’d welcome the help, but I don’t want to put anyone in danger if I can help it.”

Uma barked a laugh. “Please. I can handle anything. Harry and Gil will come too.”

“Ah, actually, Jane and I are going to the spa tomorrow,” Gil said sheepishly.

Uma rolled her eyes. “Okay, so Harry and I will come with you. We’ll make sure you make it there safely. Then you can see Merlin for whatever, and we’ll get you back to your precious castle.”

“What do you want in return?” Carlos asked suspiciously. It wasn’t like Uma to risk her life to help people out of the goodness of her heart. There always had to be an incentive behind it, something she wanted.

Uma studied Carlos, tilting her head and grinning. “No wonder they call you the smart one. I’m not asking for much. Just a measly title. Lady Uma will do. And Harry will be Lord Harry. A tiny plot of land would be nice.”

Carlos clenched his fists. This was getting ridiculous. Uma couldn’t just demand titles. There was a process to that. She had to understand how it worked.

“Deal,” Ben said.

Carlos gawked at him. “You’re just going to give them titles? And land?”

Ben shrugged. “If they can get me to Camelot and back safely. It’s not a bad trade. Titles are easy enough to hand out. I made Evie a princess, didn’t I?”

“You restored a title she should have had from birth. This is different. Uma and Harry weren’t born into nobility. You can’t just—”

“I can actually. In medieval times, titles were awarded to knights who did brave deeds. This is no different. If Uma’s right and there’s a war brewing, we need all the help we can get. But a title is more than just a privilege, it’s also a responsibility. The lords and ladies of my court can be called upon to fight for me if it does come to that.”

Uma smiled. “I’d be happy to fight for you, King Ben. Now let’s get this party started.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter entirely in Carlos's POV. I promise next chapter will have Ben's POV too. Anyways, I'm so excited about this chapter. I finally got to bring the sea three into the story and delve a little more into the history between Carlos and Harry.
> 
> I'd love to hear what everyone thought, thanks for reading!


	9. Hooked on the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the journey to Camelot resumes with Uma and Harry as their guides, Ben tries to confide his recent worries to Carlos. Meanwhile, Carlos avoids Ben and wonders if he should trust his old flame Harry.

Firelight cast the room in a warm glow, shadows playing tricks on the walls, making the furniture look monstrous. Ben wandered into the room, unable to sleep, bothered by memories of the attack on the carriage and the unhappy villains at the council meeting. He was trying to be a good king, but it felt like there was no good solution.

“Can’t sleep?”

Ben jumped, startled.

Uma was draped across the couch, twirling a dagger in her hands. She nodded to the armchair near her feet. “Have a seat, Your Majesty.”

Ben wasn’t sure this was a good idea, but it felt like turning her down would offend her, and that was quite possibly a million times worse. He sighed, folding his hands together as he sat. “I’ve got a lot on my mind.”

“I would imagine,” Uma said. “Running a kingdom doesn’t sound easy. And it’s not like you ever get a break.”

Ben laughed without humor. “I could sure use one. Everyone is always looking to me to be the example of good. To always make the right choice. But what if I’ve made a mistake?”

Uma cackled. “I would be more surprised if you never made a mistake. You’re human. It’s only natural, and your people are way too forgiving anyways. Your father made a colossal mistake and survived somehow.” She gestured vaguely with her hand. “But you, beasty boy, have put yourself in a much more dangerous situation this time. I don’t think it would be such a problem, except you’re alone now. You need a friend.”

“I have friends.”

“You need to talk to them, then. You can’t carry this all on your own. Why do you think it was so important to me to form a pirate crew? It wasn’t just about leading a group of people, or rising to power on the Isle. I wanted to find people I could trust. Harry and Gil, those are the two I tell everything to. You used to have Mal. But now who have you talked about politics with lately? Outside of your council, that is.”

Ben opened his mouth to answer, but he knew his mother wouldn’t count. She attended the council meetings, and she was heavily biased towards the Auradon natives. He should really be talking to someone who didn’t grow up here, someone who knew what the people on the Isle would feel too. That was why Mal had been such a great asset.

“Look, you’re obviously going through something,” Uma said, making a circular gesture with her hand. “So I’m going to help you out a little. You could talk to me. I’ll put that offer on the table first. But I can sense that you won’t.”

Ben grinned apologetically. “It’s nothing personal.”

Uma laughed. “Oh, it’s very personal, but I don’t care. Like I said, I’ve got my crew. The person you should be talking to is Carlos.”

“Carlos? But he…”

“Came from the Isle? Would understand the perspective of a villain since he was raised by one. Come on, beasty boy, get with the program.”

“I just mean he’s got a lot going on. I don’t want to burden him with this.”

“I don’t care what crap he’s dealing with. You need to reach out to him. Otherwise, you will lose your crown, maybe even your life. And if that happens, who knows what will become of Auradon. If Hades can get Mal on his side, they could take over Auradon like that.” Uma snapped her fingers.

Ben played with the edge of his sleeve. He didn’t want that to happen, any of that, but his self confidence had taken a major blow. Maybe he wasn’t fit to be king after all.

Uma stood up. She walked over to him and sat in his lap.

“What are you doing?”

Uma wrapped an arm around the back of his neck and pressed her lips against his forehead. When she pulled back, she was grinning mischievously. “Think on what I said, beasty boy. Hopefully that magic will snap some sense into you.” And then she sauntered out of the room, and Ben was left stunned.

He put a hand to his forehead. What on earth?

A startling clarity ripped through him. He looked around, realizing where he was and why he was there. A debilitating fear gripped him. He stood up and put his hand on the back of the chair to steady himself. He saw what the future would be like if he continued ruling the way he was ruling, and it was bleak.

Uma was right. God, she was so right. He needed to talk to Carlos soon.

...

They left for Camelot early the next morning. Carlos had not slept very well. He’d had dreams, or maybe they were memories, of attacking people as a wolf. He couldn’t get his mind off what he’d done, and the darkness sleep provided only made it worse.

He was relieved to be on the road, where he could focus on the scenery instead of his thoughts, but he wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone. They were all on horses, the safest mode of transport through Sherwood Forest according to Harry.

The first couple of hours were nice. It wasn’t quite so cold today. The light breeze felt soothing against Carlos’s skin, and he enjoyed the rocking motion of being on horseback. It was the perfect distraction from all the memories that wouldn’t leave him alone.

But after a couple hours, a new set of memories cut him deep. Carlos shivered as he caught a peek of Sherwood Forest University through the wall of trees.

“Do you miss it?” asked Harry.

Carlos tried his best not to jump. He hadn’t noticed Harry sneak up beside him on his fine black horse. “No,” Carlos said, but it was the biggest lie he ever told.

“I dropped out too. Or rather I’m never going back.”

Carlos couldn’t hide his surprise. “But why? You were only there a year. Don’t you want to push for three more? Get your degree?”

“I’m not smart enough. Not like you. You could’ve done well there, if you hadn’t spent all your time chasing around Jay like a puppy.”

Carlos jerked his head forward to make sure Ben and Uma hadn’t heard that. They were quite a way ahead so probably not. He shot Harry a glare. “You’re one to talk. I seem to remember you following Gil around at Auradon Prep.”

Harry’s hand twitched on his horse’s reins, the only indication Carlos had hit a nerve. “I’ve been over him a long time. But you, you’re still hung up on Jay. That’s why you won’t go back to Sherwood. You’re a coward. Pathetically chasing the one man who will ne’er feel anything for you.”

Carlos clenched his teeth. “Actually, if you must know, I have a crush on someone else right now.”

“Oh, yeah. Who?”

Carlos wasn’t falling for that. He kept his mouth shut and hurried his horse forward to ride alongside Uma. She didn’t like that and kicked her horse into a canter. He heard Harry’s laughter echoing behind him.

“Hey, Carlos,” Ben said, drawing his horse next to him. “There’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Not now, Ben.” Carlos was in a foul mood. Harry’s words had cut him deep.  _ Coward.  _ How dare he call him that. He was planning to go back to school eventually. After Jay graduated. Probably. Maybe that did make him a coward.

...

An hour before nightfall, they set up camp in the forest. Uma and Harry worked on putting together three tents while Carlos and Ben went to collect berries and refill their water supply at the stream.

“Can we talk now?” Ben asked.

Carlos was bent over the stream to fill the water canteens. “Is it urgent?” he asked.

“Not exactly. Just something that’s been on my mind for a while. I really want to tell you about it.”

Carlos froze. He could already see where this was going. Ben would confess his feelings for him, and he’d have no choice but to reject him. A murderer like him didn’t deserve love. The best way to deal with this was to get out of the conversation as quickly as possible. He couldn’t let Ben cross that line and ruin their friendship.

“I’m sorry, Ben. I’ve got a lot on my mind right now. I can’t deal with your problems too.”

“Oh, right, of course.” Ben rubbed the back of his neck, looking embarrassed. “I don’t want to complicate things right now. I’m sure you’re dealing with a lot. How are you doing? You’ve seemed distracted today.”

“Bad memories,” Carlos said. He didn’t elaborate, just scooped the water flasks into his arms and headed back to camp.

Carlos leaned back on the grass, studying the sky, while he waited for Ben to return with the berries. His thoughts returned to the old lady in the cottage. He was haunted by the memory of her. She’d been so kind, and he’d thanked her with a gruesome death.

His father’s face loomed in his mind. Those dark eyes. That treacherous smile. He looked like he was capable of doing what Carlos had done. He tried to push the thoughts away, thinking instead of what it was like growing up on the Isle. Cruella had been a terrible mother to him, downright abusive. It was stupid, but he’d wanted a father who was kind, who would be proud of him for…

Well, Carlos wasn’t really sure what. It wasn’t like he’d accomplished anything in his life since he’d graduated Auradon Prep. He’d dropped out during his second semester at Sherwood Forest University. All because he’d been too distracted and lovesick and jealous, and his school work had suffered so badly that dropping out was the only way to save his GPA.

Harry was right. He could re-enroll, or apply somewhere else, start over. He could work hard and become a vet like he dreamed. But how could he be a vet if he was a killer? How could he save the lives of animals while taking the lives of humans?

He couldn’t. And that was the real reason he didn’t think he’d ever go back to school. This was his punishment. Even if he never took a life again, he had to punish himself for the one he’d taken.

Ben returned with the berries and sat down on a tree stump next to Carlos. His presence put Carlos on edge, and he just couldn’t be so close to someone so good. It just made him feel a thousand times worse about himself.

He stood up and walked away from the camp.

“Carlos, wait up. Where are you going?” Ben grabbed his arm.

Carlos twisted out of his grasp. “I promise I’m not running off. I just need to be alone for a little while.”

“Are you okay?” Ben’s eyes were filled with concern. It was enough to make Carlos wish he were never born. He didn’t deserve his kindness.

“Please, Ben,” he begged. “Trust me this one time.” Because he couldn’t stand another moment with Ben looking at him like that.

“Of course I trust you. You can go.”

“Thanks.”

Carlos stepped over fallen branches, leaves crunching underneath his feet. Bugs skittered across the ground, and he could hear an owl hooting in a tree. Nature went on as usual, oblivious to his inner turmoil.

A twig snapped behind him. Carlos whirled around, prepared to tell Ben off for following him, but it wasn’t Ben he saw lurking in the shadows.

“What are you doing here?”

Harry Hook stepped forward, his eyes glittering in the moonlight. He wore a sleeveless leather jacket that showed off his muscled arms and did a number on Carlos’s heart. It was so strange being around him, even though so much time had passed since they’d broken up.

“Uma sent me,” Harry said. “She was worried you’d fall into some trap or other.”

Carlos rolled his eyes. “Everyone’s always underestimating me. I’m very aware of my surroundings, thank you very much.”

“Is that why it took you ten, no, twenty minutes to notice I was following you?”

Carlos looked at his watch. “It was only five.”

“Ah.” Harry smiled, slinking over to him like a sly fox. He rested his arm on the tree behind Carlos so he could get up close and personal.

Carlos could feel Harry’s breath on his forehead. Damn him for being so tall. “What do you want, Harry? I know Uma didn’t really send you. She doesn’t give a rat’s ass about me.”

Harry chuckled. “I love it when you curse. But you’re right. Uma didn’t send me. I couldn’t help but notice the tension between you and our King Benny, eh?”

Carlos crossed his arms. “We’re getting along fine.”

“What happened, pet? You can tell me.” He leaned close to Carlos’s ear. “Used to tell me all sorts of secrets, didn’t you?”

“There’s no secret to tell.”

Harry’s hook pressed up against Carlos’s neck, and Harry used it to tilt Carlos’s face up. His eyes were magnetic, a little bit mad, and his smile was downright intoxicating. Carlos felt weak in the knees.

“You’ll hate me,” Carlos whispered.

“Not possible, pet.”

Carlos wished he would stop calling him that. It reminded him too much of their time together during their senior year at Auradon Prep. He suspected Harry was doing it on purpose to get Carlos to trust him again. It was working…

He couldn’t stop the words from rushing out. “I found out I’m a werewolf. That’s why we’re going to Camelot. We think Merlin might be able to help since he can shapeshift too.” It was mostly the truth.

“Ah, how did that happen? Were you bitten or scratched?”

Carlos shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck. “My father is a werewolf. Apparently, it passed down to me.”

“You met your father?” Harry said, his voice soft.

Carlos nodded. “But he’s not a good guy, Harry. I mean, I knew he wouldn’t be. He was a villain sent to the Isle of the Lost. But I don’t know, I hoped he would be better. More like me. Since I’m nothing like my mother…”

“Are you okay?” Harry asked.

“No, not really.”

“There’s more, isn’t there?”

Carlos nodded. How could Harry always read him so well?

“What is it, pet?”

Carlos hesitated. He had been burning to tell someone, but he wasn’t sure if he should trust Harry. Just because Harry was trustworthy in the past didn’t mean he would be now. Things were undeniably different. Maybe it was foolish or naive or Carlos was just too desperate to tell someone, but he found the words slipping out of his mouth, as easily as the first confession. “When I turned into a wolf, I, uh, I attacked someone.”

Harry didn’t seem surprised. He withdrew his hook, letting his hand fall to his side. “Do you remember who it was?”

Carlos nodded. “My dad helped me access the memory. I saw the whole thing happen. I was in a cottage in the woods, and this kind old lady was getting me clothes. You see, when I turn, my clothes get destroyed, so I was naked and…” Carlos felt his cheeks heating up.

Harry didn’t laugh like he expected. “Go on,” he urged, his voice sounding oddly gentle.

“She asked me to get the cookies out of the oven. And clumsy me tripped and hit my head. That triggered the transformation. I attacked her, Harry. I tore her apart like a piñata. There was blood everywhere, and I was just hungry, so hungry.” He covered his face. Tears made him palms wet, and sobs wracked his body.

Harry grasped his wrists and pulled his hands to the side so he could stare into his eyes. “It’s okay, pet,” he assured him. “You didn’t know what you were doing. Don’t be blaming yourself.”

“How can I not? It was my fault. If I hadn’t entered her cottage, she’d still be alive. I’m a monster, Harry. No one will ever love me.”

Harry’s lips were on his in a heartbeat. Warm, fierce, and tasting of the sea. Pleasant memories flooded back into Carlos, and he let himself relax in Harry’s strong arms. Harry pushed him back against the tree, snaking a hand under Carlos’s shirt until he could play with his nipples.

Carlos moaned, running his hands through Harry’s silky hair. His body ached for more. He ran his hands under Harry’s shirt, feeling his firm warm back, and pulled Harry closer to him.

Harry kissed his cheek, and Carlos felt his rough stubble brush against him. He hadn’t had that the last time they kissed. He grabbed Harry by the back of the neck and got onto his tiptoes so he could kiss Harry’s stunning jawline, running his lips against that sandpaper texture.

Carlos felt a thrill running through his body. He was ready for this. Oh, he was so ready.

Harry pulled away, and Carlos felt like all the air had been sucked out of him. He panted, looking at Harry, who was glancing around the forest, his eyes wide.

“What’s wrong?” Carlos asked.

“I thought I heard someone.” He cleared his throat. “Sorry, Carlos. That shouldn’t have happened. I’m with Uma now. I love her goddamit. I really, really do.”

“Right, yeah, of course. We had our time, and it didn’t work out,” Carlos said, rubbing his arm. He had a strong urge to fight for Harry, to insist that they still had a chance. The chemistry was obviously still there, and the feelings were mutual. But Carlos knew he didn’t deserve that. A killer like him didn’t deserve love at all.

“Yeah, exactly. Now away with you. It’s late. You should get some rest for tomorrow.”

Carlos nodded numbly. He trudged through the woods and back to the camp.

…

Ben held his breath as he crouched behind a tree trunk. He couldn’t believe what he’d just seen. Carlos and Harry making out. They still had feelings for each other. He’d told Carlos as much, but he didn’t expect Harry to actually act on it.

They’d been too far away for him to hear what they were saying, but it was clear Harry had been the one to approach Carlos. He’d taken advantage of Carlos while he was feeling sad about his dad. He’d cornered him, threatened him with his hook, and then pressed him against a tree.

Ben couldn’t get Carlos’s moan out of his head. Was that why Carlos tolerated the threats and manipulation? Because it felt good to be with Harry like that. Or was Carlos so lonely that he'd take anyone he could get?

The match never made sense to him. Carlos and Harry just didn't go together. It felt wrong. No, Carlos needed someone who was kind to him, someone who was gentle, someone who understood him on a deeper level. Someone like Ben.

Whoa, there. Ben put a hand to his heart, feeling as it pounded in his chest. He wasn’t jealous. He wasn’t. Carlos was his friend, and he wanted to protect him. That was all this was.

And maybe he was jealous a little. Not of the kiss. But of the fact that Carlos had talked to Harry about what was bothering him. He’d chosen to trust to Harry instead of Ben. Ben couldn’t help but feel left out.

He’d wanted to confide in Carlos about the political problems he was facing, but now he didn’t think that was a good idea. It was becoming more and more clear that Carlos didn’t want that kind of friendship with him. Once things got real, he’d choose Jay or Harry over him every time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is definitely my favorite chapter in this story so far. Not only does Uma get to show off her magic a little to Ben, but we also learn more about Carlos and Harry's past. And how about that kiss?
> 
> I'd love to hear what everyone thought, thanks so much for reading!


	10. Gift for a King

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben has a confusing dream about Carlos. They arrive in Camelot to find Merlin is away on business. Ben agrees to help King Arthur with a problem and asks Uma for a favor.

Ben imagined himself pushing Carlos against a tree, how he would have kissed him. Soft and sweet, like he was a precious jewel, but not fragile. No. He knew Carlos well enough to know he had fight in him.

He'd wrap his arms around him, call him his handsome boy, and shower him with kisses. His hand, his forehead, his cheek...then a nice long kiss on his lips. Maybe a little bit of tongue.

Ben sat bolt upright in his tent, his heart pounding.

What kind of a dream was that? His cheeks felt hot, and he couldn't get that image of Carlos out of his head. It was just because he’d seen Harry take advantage of Carlos. That was all it was. He couldn’t help but see the memory again in his dreams. It didn’t mean anything, right?

He pushed his blankets aside and walked out into the cold night air. The world was quiet and peaceful. All his worries felt like a distant dream. He was just lonely because he didn’t have Mal anymore. Seeing Carlos and Harry together had made him ache for a relationship again. That was the only reason he’d had a ridiculous dream like that.

Ben sighed, the calmness returning to him. He put a hand to his chest to feel his heart slowing down until everything felt normal again. He couldn’t go back to sleep though, so he decided to go for a walk.

The edge of the magic perimeter that Uma set up around their camp reached a rocky hill that looked out over the stream. He went to sit there and listen as the water trickled down below.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

Ben turned to see Uma sitting beside him. He hadn’t even noticed her sneak up on him. “Yeah, it’s nice. How did you find this place?”

“I go to college at Sherwood. Exploring these woods has become one of my favorite procrastination techniques.” She cracked a smile.

Ben laughed. “Not bad. I used to use ‘exploring the kingdom I would one day rule’ as my excuse to get out of class all the time.”

Uma bumped his shoulder playfully. “Look at you. Not such a goody two shoes after all.”

He chuckled. “I was the worst about it before I became king. My whole life my father had put this pressure on me to be a good king. I didn’t think I could do it. So I kept up appearances, did things that would look good to others, like exploring the kingdom, but none of it really mattered to me. It wasn’t until I realized that I could help the people of the Isle of the Lost that I even wanted to be king. I realized I could make a difference in Auradon. Even if I couldn’t save everyone, if I could just make some people’s lives better… I don’t know. It was a comforting thought. I stopped running away and started trying to be a good king, started trying to be good again.”

“So what you’re saying is, you used to be a rebel until you met Mal?” Uma threw back her head in laughter. “Now that is ironic, beasty boy.”

“Still calling me beasty boy? I’m eighteen, you know. Going on nineteen.”

Uma laughed. “You’ll always be a boy. You’ve got that baby face.” She pinched his cheek.

Ben batted her hand away. Something about this, sitting here and talking with Uma, just felt so right to him. He remembered her offer before, that he could confide in her.

“Uma, there’s something I need to talk to you about.”

“Oh?” She turned her body towards him, giving him her full attention. “What’s the matter, beasty boy?”

“You told me to talk to Carlos about Auradon politics, but I can’t talk to him about all this. I don’t want to scare him. So if your offer is still good, I’d like to talk to you.”

Uma’s eyes widened in surprise. “Me? Are you sure?”

Ben nodded. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. From the moment we talked on your ship when your crew kidnapped me, I could tell that we could work well together. Now is our chance. Please, Uma.”

“Of course my offer is still good. I wouldn’t lie to you. I just never thought you’d actually take me up on it. You never seemed to trust me much before.”

Ben shrugged his shoulders, smiling. “You gave me reason to doubt you before, but you aren’t giving me any reasons now. You’ve done nothing but help me since we were at Jane’s house.”

“So how bad is it?” Uma asked.

Ben took a deep breath, garnering the courage to talk about the things that had been plaguing his mind for months. “Northern Wei is talking about forming its own country, breaking away from Auradon. They want Fairy Godmother to put a river between them and the rest of the country. And Neverland has shut down their bridge. They don’t want any villains coming into their land. The fairies are churning up the waters around there so any boats heading that way get redirected or shipwrecked. It’s causing the weather to do strange things.”

Uma rubbed her arms. “I noticed. Coldest summer I ever had, and I lived on the Isle so that’s saying something.”

“Not to mention Agrabah, who is one of my oldest allies, is now in talks with Northern Wei. They used to hate each other, but I think they may team up to oppose my rule.”

“How did that happen?”

Ben bit his lip, shame burning deep in his chest. “I angered Aladdin with my latest decision.”

“Which was?”

“That only the children of villains could attend the second annual ball celebrating the taking down of the barrier.”

Uma snorted. “What kind of dumbass decision was that? Did you really think that wouldn’t be met with disagreement? Honestly, Ben, it’s like you’re trying to start a war.”

“We voted. The council agreed that it would be safer not to invite former villains. They think the villains are going to plan a surprise attack at the party.”

“Oh, they definitely will. But it’s about the principle of the thing. You can amp up security all you want, make sure you’ve got some powerful allies attending, and let the stuck-up Auradonians make a decision for themselves whether they trust your security measures or not. Luckily, you’ve got someone on the inside.” She pointed her thumb at herself. “I can find out what we’re planning and make sure it’s stopped before it ruins the party.”

“That sounds incredibly dangerous, Uma. I don’t want your friends to turn against you if anyone catches on to what you’re doing. Double agents rarely come out of these things alive. We are looking at a potential war here.”

“I know what I’m doing, Ben. The only question is, do you trust me enough to let me do it?” She tilted her head, eyebrow cocked.

“I do,” Ben found himself saying. He meant it too.

“Then that’s settled. I’ll do it. There is one question I wanted to ask, though,” Uma said.

“What is it?”

“What’s so important in Camelot that you would risk your life to get there?” Uma tossed her aqua hair over her shoulder. She looked genuinely curious.

“I can’t tell you, Uma. I’m sorry.”

Uma gave him a look of utter disbelief. “You claim to trust me, but you won’t even tell me why I’m putting myself in danger?”

“I would, honest. But it’s not my secret to tell.”

“Oh.” Uma tilted her head, a sly smile spreading across her lips. “It’s about Carlos, isn’t it? You care a lot for the boy.”

Ben tensed. The way she said that seemed to imply a lot more. “What are you saying?”

“Nothing. Just that someone attempted to assassinate you and instead of running home to safety, you’re continuing on this quest for Carlos’s sake. You could have sent him ahead without you, and he would’ve been a lot safer. Traveling with the king, well, that puts him at greater risk.”

“It’s worth it,” Ben said, but he wouldn’t elaborate. He could talk politics with Uma until Auradon turned upside down, but he would never let slip Carlos’s secret.

It was strange to think about. A week ago, he’d been prepared to share that secret with the world, for the safety of Auradon. But now he knew they needed answers before the press twisted the story to their liking. The last thing he wanted was people hunting Carlos down because he didn’t know how to control his powers yet.

“If you say so.” Uma looked like she had another question to ask, but she thankfully held her tongue. She scooted over to sit close enough to Ben to lean her head on his shoulder.

Ben wasn’t really sure how she wanted him to respond. She wiggled her fingers, so he moved his arm around her and laced his fingers through hers. He felt the worn leather of her fingerless gloves beneath his skin and the rough painted gold seashells upon it. Her fingers were warm and soft, comforting.

He found his questions slipping away as he leaned into Uma’s warmth. She was safe, trustworthy, and would help them accomplish their goals.

He was so glad he’d told her everything. Well, almost everything. A huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He could see great things in their future, and he couldn’t help but think that she would make a good queen…

...

Camelot sprawled out before them, a beautiful old-fashioned city with rough roads worn by horse travel and ancient architecture. It looked like a picture from a history book on the middle ages. The castle rose high above the city, with glimmering red towers and the Pendragon banners flying from the turrets.

Ben had been here many times before, but from the looks on the others’ faces, none of them had ever been here. “Welcome to Camelot,” Ben said, rubbing his hands together.

It was a chilly afternoon. They’d woken at dawn and walked the rest of the way through the forest, guiding the horses on their leads. The forest had been too thick in the area leading up to Camelot for them to ride safely. Now it was about two, and they were all hungry for some real food.

At the palace gates, the guards recognized Ben immediately and bowed to him. Servants arrived to take their horses to the stables and their belongings to private rooms for them. One of the king’s knights, Sir Gawain, arrived to greet them. He bowed low.

“Your Majesty. We heard news your carriage had been attacked. I am relieved to see you made it out of the mess in one piece. Do you need food? Shelter for the night?”

Ben was surprised at the knight’s words. “No. I mean, yes, but we’re here to meet with Merlin. I sent word to him days ago. He’s expecting us.”

“Oh.” Sir Gawain rubbed the back of his head. “I’m afraid he’s not here. Merlin left a couple of days ago on urgent business.”

Ben and Carlos exchanged a look. Merlin had sent back confirmation that he would be here when they arrived. What could have been so important that he’d leave without sending word? Or maybe he had, but his message couldn’t reach them because of Uma’s enchantments.

“Do you know when he’ll be back?” Carlos asked. Ben could tell he was nervous, but the younger boy was holding himself up well. He must be anxious for answers, which made sense. Ben couldn’t imagine how scary it would be to be in Carlos’s situation.

“I’m sorry,” Sir Gawain said. “He did not say how long he would be gone. But he usually doesn’t leave for long periods of time. You are all welcome to stay here until he gets back.”

Ben nodded. “That’s a very generous offer. We may just take you up on that. Is King Arthur here? We would like an audience with him when he has the chance.”

Sir Gawain bowed his head. “Of course, Your Majesty. He is in his office right now. I will lead you there, but it would be best if only King Ben came to speak to him.” He gave the others an apologetic look.

Uma shrugged, examining her nails. Harry looked a little disappointed. And Carlos looked like he hadn’t even heard what Sir Gawain said. He seemed lost in thoughts, probably still thinking about how they’d have to wait for Merlin to return.

A servant escorted arrived to escort Ben’s friends to their rooms in the east wing of the castle, and Sir Gawain led Ben to King Arthur’s office. He stepped inside to announce Ben and then let Ben go inside to speak to the king alone.

“Please have a seat, King Ben.” King Arthur was seated behind his desk which was piled high with papers. He had a feathered quill behind his ear and ink stains on his fingers. His hair was frizzy and unkempt like he’d been pacing this room all through the night.

Ben sat down. “Is something wrong?”

King Arthur jumped, plucking the quill from behind his ear to write a line on a scrap of paper. “Is it that obvious?”

Ben smiled. “From one king to another, yes. I can recognize all the signs. You haven’t slept, have you?”

King Arthur grinned. “Guilty. We’re supposed to have an important meeting tomorrow afternoon. There has been debate in Camelot about whether to allow magic here. I know your official stance is that magic should be restricted, but the townspeople don’t feel safe with so many villains on the streets.”

“It’s reasonable for them not to feel safe, but I don’t think magic is the answer. You’ve seen how many heroes have sought revenge on their former enemies. Wouldn’t magic just complicate things?”

“Exactly,” King Arthur said. “And I was counting on Merlin to be the voice of reason, to convince the townspeople that magic would only cause more problems, but he’s gone off to help someone else. And I have no idea how to convince the people on my own.”

“Maybe you don’t have to do it on your own,” Ben said. “My friends and I came here to see Merlin, but since he’s not here, we will be waiting for him at the castle for a few days. I could speak in Merlin’s place. I’ve had to give the same type of speech many times for my own citizens.”

King Arthur’s eyes went wide. “Really, you’d do that? You would be a lifesaver. Quite literally.”

“It is really no problem. We have the same goal, after all.” Ben was honestly relieved. He wasn’t sure how many kings or queens were on his side after that disastrous council meeting. King Arthur had been there, along with his sixteen-year-old son, Artie. Neither had said much at the meeting, which had made Ben nervous about whose side they were on.

“Thank you, King Ben. We shall prepare a feast for you and your friends to celebrate.”

Ben laughed. “Actually, we’d prefer a quiet meal away from the public eye. We’ve been traveling for days by horse since our carriage was attacked.”

“Good lord. I heard there was an attack, but I didn’t realize you and your friends were in the carriage. Is everyone okay?”

“Yes, we’re all fine. Thank you so much for your hospitality.”

“Anything for you, King Ben. Long May You Reign.” He saluted Ben.

“Then if it’s not too much to ask, would you have any clothes I could borrow? I’ve been wearing my friend Gil’s clothes for traveling, but I don’t have anything nice enough for the meeting. My suitcase was destroyed in the attack on the carriage.”

King Arthur smiled, waving his hand. “Not to worry. We’ll have some of Artie’s things sent up for you. That boy has grown so much this past year. I’m sure his clothes should fit you.”

Ben bowed his head. “That would be wonderful. I am so grateful.”

“We will raise the beast-head sigil of your family as well. We want to show the people of Camelot that we support you, King Ben.”

“Thank you, King Arthur. That really means a lot to me.” He might have lost the support of Northern Wei, Agrabah, and Neverland, but it was comforting to know he had Camelot on his side.

…

After dinner, Ben went to Uma’s room so they could talk in private. He updated her with King Arthur’s request and explained how the citizens of Camelot were divided about whether magic should be allowed or not.

“Makes sense,” Uma said when he’d finished explaining. “In the past magic was forbidden in Camelot, long before the United States of Auradon was formed, but then they were saved by Merlin. Since the barrier has been taken down, Merlin has performed a lot of magic to help people. It’s only natural they’d want a chance to protect themselves too.”

Ben stared at her, surprised she knew so much about Camelot.

“What? I paid attention in History of Auradon and Magical History. I might procrastinate on homework, but I care about passing my classes.” She crossed her arms.

Ben smiled, rubbing her shoulder. “I’m just impressed. If I knew my history half as well as you do, maybe Auradon wouldn’t be such a mess right now.”

Uma snorted. “You’re not wrong.”

“I know I have a lot to learn. That’s why I want you to come to the meeting with me, Uma. I could really use your opinions on the matter as well. King Arthur wants to maintain the magic restriction, and I agree with that, but I want to make sure I’m doing what’s best for the people of Auradon. You’re much better at recognizing that.”

Ben thought he detected a hint of a blush on Uma’s cheeks. She walked over to the night stand next to the bed and started unpacking her bag into the drawers. Finally, she pulled out a bracelet and walked back over to Ben. She placed it into his open palm.

“When we first started at Auradon Prep, I made this for you. To thank you for letting us live in Auradon. But I never gave it to you since we never really got the chance to be alone.”

Ben studied the bracelet. It had a leather cord as its base with aqua and yellow thread wrapped around it, seashell and crown charms dangling from it.

“I know it’s a little girly,” she said, tucking her hair behind her ear. “But I don’t know, I thought you might like it.”

Ben slid it onto his wrist, admiring how it looked. “It’s not too girly, Uma. I think it’s wonderful.” He couldn’t help himself. He pulled Uma into a hug. She squeaked in surprise, and he laughed at the adorable sound. “Thank you so much. I wish I had a gift for you as well.”

“You’ve already given me plenty,” Uma said. “Honestly you have no idea how much you’ve done for me.”

“Well, I look forward to working with you tomorrow at the meeting. I know we can come to the right decision. Together.”

Uma smiled at that last word. “Yeah, we do make a good team, huh?” Her words sounded a bit flirtatious, and the way she was tilting her head towards him had Ben wondering if she would kiss him again. This time on the lips.

She brushed her fingers through his hair, and he found himself leaning into the touch, craving just a bit more. She pulled away, smiling. “Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted. Gonna head to bed early. Not like we got much sleep last night anyways.”

Ben chuckled, remembering how he’d fallen asleep on Uma’s shoulder, only to be awoken an hour later by Harry yelling Uma’s name, worried she’d gone missing.

“Sleep well, Uma.”

“Thanks. You too, beasty boy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took a week off for the holidays but updates will resume now! We finally have a chapter entirely from Ben's POV. (It was about time after Carlos had two in a row.)
> 
> I'd love to hear what everyone thinks in the comments, thanks!


	11. A Great Mistake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry challenges Ben to a duel. Ben and Uma attend a meeting that could change the fate of Auradon. Meanwhile, Carlos tries to find out what's bothering Harry.

Ben walked into the private dining room at Camelot Castle for breakfast. Harry sat at the table alone, scarfing down hard-boiled eggs and sliced ham. He took a swig of his orange juice and nodded a greeting.

“Morning, Harry.” Ben sat down across from the pirate. A servant set a plate in front of him and started filling it with a little of everything. Ben thanked the servant before she rushed away.

“You went shopping?” Harry asked, motioning at Ben’s attire.

“Ah, no. I’m borrowing this from Artie, King Arthur’s son.”

“No wonder. Green’s not really your color,” Harry taunted. “You should have bought something instead. Carlos and I went into the market yesterday to pick out some new clothes for him. They had a lot of nice outfits, even got a few belts for myself.”

Ben’s jaw tightened. He didn’t like the idea of Harry helping Carlos pick out clothes. Had Carlos tried them on for him? What if Harry had joined him in the dressing room? The image of them together in the woods returned to his mind, the memory as clear as if he was reliving it.

Ben took a long sip from his goblet of orange juice to distract himself from those unwanted thoughts. He glanced up at Harry and saw he was staring intently at Ben’s wrist.

“Did Uma give that to you?”

Ben touched the charm bracelet. “Oh, yeah. It was a thank you gift for letting her live in Auradon.”

“Uh, huh.” Harry looked skeptical. “What time’s the meeting?”

“Noon. Why?”

Harry shrugged. “We’ve got some time to kill. How’s your swordplay?”

Ben pushed back his shoulders, sitting up straighter in his seat. “It’s excellent. I practice every day.”

“You haven’t practiced since we set out on this journey,” Harry pointed out. “Come on, why don’t we borrow some swords from the training yard and put those neglected muscles to use?” It sounded like a challenge.

“Are you still playing R.O.A.R. at Sherwood?”

“Don’t know. Depends on if I go back. Which depends an awful lot on whether or not you accidentally start a war.”

Ben raised an eyebrow. “You don’t trust your king?”

Harry smirked, his eyes menacing. “Not as far as I can throw you. But I figure if me and Uma are to be helping you, I should at least make sure you can defend yourself in a fight. It is my duty as a future lord, isn’t it?”

Ben bit his tongue. He’d forgotten he’d promised Harry a title too if he managed to get him to Camelot and back safely. He wasn’t really looking forward to inducting Harry into the house of lords. The other nobles would definitely be raising questioning eyebrows.

“Fine, we can practice. But I’ll need to change into something a little more flexible.” Ben didn’t want to risk ruining any of Artie’s clothes when he was being so generous by lending them to him.

…

Most of the clothes Ben had borrowed from Gil had been taken by the servants to wash. That left him with only a brown leather vest and a pair of black pants to wear with his brown boots. Thankfully the air was hot outside, and Ben found the vest to be a lot more comfortable than the stuffy long-sleeved tunic he’d worn to breakfast.

Harry was leaning against the equipment shed when Ben got to the training fields.

“Not bad,” Harry said, looking him up and down appreciatively.

Ben walked past him without a word and picked up one of the training swords. “I hope you’re ready to face down Auradon Prep’s best R.O.A.R. captain.”

“Don’t kid yourself, King Has-Been. I broke all of your records, and I wasn’t even captain.” Harry snatched up a practice sword from the weapons stand. He ran his hook along it.

“No hook. That’s cheating,” Ben said.

Harry rolled his eyes. “Fine. You Auradonians are such sticklers.” He slammed his hook onto the table. “If I’d gotten Tick Tock to bite off my hand, you’d have no choice but to let me compete with it.”

“Actually, you’d have to wear a sheath over it so you couldn’t use it in the fight. It’s in the rule book.”

“You’re killing me.” Harry swung his sword in an arc and circled Ben. “On the count of three. One. Two. Three.”

Ben lunged towards Harry, trying to catch him off guard, but the pirate was fast. He retreated and then countered by feinting towards Ben’s shoulder and swinging the sword down. Ben jumped to avoid the blade. He retreated quickly, studying Harry for an opening.

Harry was grinning smugly. “You’re out of practice. Have you been training by yourself? Or with someone who doesn’t challenge you?”

Ben gritted his teeth, but he refused to be fazed by Harry’s words. He trained with various people, but it was becoming clear the longer they fought that none of them were as good as Harry.

Harry slid his sword through the hilt of Ben’s sword, twisting it deftly until the sword flew out of Ben’s grasp. Harry held his sword underneath Ben’s chin.

“Looks like I won that one.”

Ben noticed the bracelet Uma had given him was missing from his wrist. He backed away from Harry and searched the ground for the bracelet. He spotted it, relieved to discover it was still in one piece.

Harry snatched it up before he could get the chance.

“You did that on purpose,” Ben accused.

Harry leaned against his sword, dangling the bracelet just out of Ben’s reach. “Can you blame me for getting jealous? My girlfriend is giving you gifts.”

“We’re just friends.”

“But you like her, don’t you?”

Ben opened his mouth to answer, then clamped it shut. He wasn’t sure how he was feeling about Uma to be honest. When he was around her, he enjoyed her company and wanted to be closer to her. She was warm, comforting, and gave him hope for the future of Auradon. But right now he didn’t feel like he missed her. He wasn’t desperate to see her or jealous that she was dating Harry.

“Just give it back, Harry.”

“Fine.” Harry dropped the bracelet into Ben’s palm.

“Come on, I demand a rematch.” Ben slid the bracelet onto his wrist. He would make sure Harry didn’t get near it this time. He picked up his sword from the ground and got into the starting position.

Harry won the round again, but Ben got a lot closer to defeating him. He felt that the more they practiced, the better he would get. He was learning how Harry fought. What had at first seemed unpredictable now formed into a pattern in Ben’s mind. Harry became easier and easier to read. Until at last Ben lunged through an opening and won his first bout.

Applause sounded behind them. They turned to see Uma standing there. She was wearing a perfectly tailored aqua pantsuit with a pearlescent sheen to it. She looked like she meant business.

“Beautiful,” Ben said. “The suit, I mean.” He cut a worried glance at Harry, but luckily Harry was drinking in Uma’s beauty as well.

“My, my, darling. Now that’s a look I could get used to,” Harry said, nearly falling on his sword.

“Beasty boy, don’t tell me you’ve been hiding these muscles all along.” Uma walked over to him and felt his bicep. It was slick with sweat, but she didn’t seem to mind. “You’d best get changed. The meeting starts in half an hour.”

“Oh, God. It’s that late already? Harry said only an hour had passed.”

Uma snorted. “Never trust Harry with the time. Come along, beasty boy.” She wrapped her arm around his like some gentleman at court and led Ben back to their bedrooms so he could change into formal attire for the meeting.

…

Representatives from the various cities and towns in Camelot Heights sat around the famous Round Table. Sir Gawain offered a seat to Ben beside King Arthur. He gave up his own seat so Uma could sit beside Ben.

It wasn’t the first time he’d been there. Ben had sat at this table once before shortly after he became King of Auradon. A dragon had been plaguing Camelot, and he’d come to investigate the matter personally.

Ben was dressed in a royal blue tunic with silver epaulets, the only blue outfit among the clothes Artie had offered him. (He wasn’t about to put the green one on again after Harry had insulted it. Not that he was bitter about that. He wasn’t.) He felt a little naked without his crown, but he’d left it behind at his castle. Since he’d only planned to meet with Merlin, it didn’t seem worth bringing his crown with them. It was a good thing too since the crown could have been stolen or destroyed in the carriage attack.

King Arthur cleared his throat and introduced all of the men and women seated around the table. He made the mistake of introducing Uma as Princess Evie, but Ben wasn’t about to interrupt to correct him.

Camelot eschewed all modern technology, so their news of what was happening in Auradon mostly came by word of mouth. They had probably just heard that Ben was friends with a blue-haired princess. There was something regal about the way Uma carried herself. It was not difficult to mistake her for royalty. If Merlin were here, he would have known the difference because he’d met Evie before.

“The matter we must discuss today,” King Arthur said, “is whether magic should be allowed for anyone to perform in Camelot or whether it should be restricted. Auradon’s official stance for the past twenty-three years has been that magic should be restricted. We will start with King Ben explaining why his father made that decision and work our way around the table. Everyone will get a chance to argue their side. After a short recess, we will reconvene and make our decision.”

...

Carlos wandered through the gardens at Camelot Castle. He’d enjoyed sleeping in late in a nice comfortable bed. His dreams weren’t so bad last night, just a mix of memories and worries. Maybe the nightmares would go away after all.

He sprinkled bird seed into the fountain, watching as blue and red birds flitted over to peck at the seeds.

“I knew I’d find you here,” Harry said.

Carlos didn’t even jump. He was getting used to Harry appearing out of nowhere. “Not much else to do around here while the meeting’s going on.”

“We could train. I know you miss R.O.A.R.”

Carlos leveled a glare on him. “I told you I’m done with that. Anyways, I heard you spent the morning training with Ben. Aren’t you exhausted?”

“Nah, that was just a warmup.” Harry leaned against the fountain, scaring a few birds away. He grinned and picked up a red feather floating on the water.

Carlos noticed his eyeliner was particularly smudged today and his hook was tucked into his coat pocket. He hadn’t even bothered zipping the pocket closed. Something was wrong. Harry wasn’t usually that lax about his appearance.

“Uma and Ben have gotten close lately,” Carlos commented. “Does that bother you?”

Harry lifted an eyebrow. “Should it?”

“I don’t know. She’s your girlfriend.”

Harry shrugged. “I don’t know yet if there’s anything to worry about. Ben couldn’t answer me when I asked if he liked her. Anyways, Uma is hanging around Ben because she has her own political motives. I want her to succeed with him, even if it means she has to flirt to get her way. We have an agreement. Anything that advances political ambition doesn’t count as cheating.”

“What about when you kissed me? Does that count?”

Harry cut him a dangerous glance. “We will not speak of that. It’s our secret, Carlos. After I’ve kept yours all these years, you owe me at least this much.”

Carlos nodded. He definitely wouldn’t be the one to tell Uma anyways. He was terrified of how she’d react. She was so possessive over Harry. The only reason she was allowing them to talk the past few days was probably because she’d asked Harry to distract Carlos while she worked on the king. Besides, he knew Harry would never tell Uma about his past relationship with Carlos. If the pirate was good for anything, it was keeping his word.

“Do you regret it?” Carlos couldn’t stop the words from tumbling out. “Kissing me, I mean.”

“Do you even have to ask?” Harry’s voice was soft, delicate, like a sail fluttering in the breeze. It wasn’t an answer, but Harry seemed to think it was. Carlos had no idea what Harry was feeling. Or maybe he did.

A longing for the past squeezed his chest. And he knew without a doubt that Harry wanted him. At least in this moment. But Harry wouldn’t act on it. He had more self control now. Carlos wasn’t a blubbering mess before him, complaining about how no one would love him. He could see the words in his head that he could say to get Harry to kiss him again, but he wouldn’t say them.

Harry had chosen Uma, and Carlos just had to live with that. He also somehow had to live with the guilt that was tearing him apart day by day. Harry hadn’t judged him when he’d told him what he’d done in that cottage—the life he had taken. And honestly, that was more comforting than all the kisses in the world.

…

Sir Gawain showed Ben and Uma to a room where they could discuss their final decision during the recess. It was a small library of sorts with a big fireplace and two armchairs. They sat at the armchairs, facing each other.

Ben worried a hand through his hair. “I’m not sure about this, Uma. The representatives made a good point about their right to defend themselves.”

Uma’s jaw dropped. “Are you seriously undecided? You have a good heart, Ben, but we should stick with King Arthur’s side. He’s counting on us.”

Ben was surprised. He thought for sure Uma would be on the side of magic. She had no loyalty to King Arthur, only to her crew and to herself. That was why he respected her opinion, and he was willing to hear her out. But not without arguing his side first.

“But what if I deny them the right to practice magic and they end up dying because they couldn’t defend themselves?” Ben countered.

“You're not responsible for everyone's life, Ben. And you’ve seen all the harm magic can do. You said it yourself that magic complicates things.”

Ben sighed. “I know, but they’re afraid. I just want to help them.”

“When people are afraid, they make mistakes. When you promise someone power, they get greedy. I’ve been there, Ben. I should have taken your deal after I kidnapped you, but I couldn’t trust you then. I believed your kindness had to be an act, even as I saw the amazing things we could do together. And I failed again at your cotillion. I was impatient, and the power that I felt after crossing that barrier made me crave it all the more. My intentions were good. I still wanted to save everyone from the Isle, but my methods became twisted.”

Ben nodded. He remembered the love spell Uma had used on him to try to get him to take down the barrier for her. It was strange, but he could still remember what it felt like to love Uma. That had always haunted him. Until recently.

“I’m so sorry, Ben,” Uma said. “But I’ve learned from my mistakes. I’ve learned to be patient, to always look three moves ahead. The world is a chess board. You’re the king, and well, speaking from a chess standpoint, I am your queen. I will make the moves to protect you. You need to side with King Arthur on this one.”

Ben folded his hands together, feeling weary. Denying the people magic felt wrong. It was okay when no one was using magic, but now that so many former villains and heroes had started using their powers again, it felt cruel to leave an entire region defenseless. Merlin was only one man. He couldn’t protect all of them.

Ben wanted Camelot to be able to move forward, to make progress. They didn’t want technology, but they wanted magic. He could give that to them. The opinions discussed at the meeting were split pretty evenly. Ben could shift the tides with ease.

But was allowing anyone to practice magic in Camelot the right thing to do? In theory, it was the obvious choice. But he had to weigh the risks and consequences too.

An idea came to him. A compromise. A solution.

Sir Gawain poked his head inside the room. “We’re ready to reconvene. Are you finished in here?”

“Yes.”

Ben marched into the room, his head held high, and took his seat beside King Arthur at the Round Table. Uma sat down beside him.

“I trust you have come to a decision,” King Arthur said, glee in his eyes.

“I have,” Ben said proudly. “I have a new proposition. Magic will only be allowed for people who have been trained. I propose we open a school of magic. We can use Pendragon Castle. It’s out of the way so the magic won’t affect Camelot Heights too much. Anyone from any region of Auradon will be able to come and train. I’m sure Merlin and Yen Sid would be happy to teach there. They will focus on defensive magic, a program to keep all of Auradon protected.”

More than half of the representatives stood up to clap for him.

“Well then,” King Arthur said, not even looking at Ben, “we will vote on three plans. Majority wins.”

He first asked who wished for magic to be banned in Camelot. Only three people raised their hands. He asked who wanted magic to be allowed for everyone in Camelot. Two people raised their hands. And lastly, he asked who wished for a magic school to be built. An overwhelming majority raised their hands.

Ben felt proud of himself. He’d come up with a plan that had persuaded more than half of both sides to agree with him. And he felt confident that it was a good step towards the future.

...

Afterwards, Ben walked Uma back to her room. She was quiet the whole way there, unusual for her. Once they were at the door, Uma pulled him inside and slammed the door behind them.

“Why the hell did you do that?” she demanded.

“It was the right thing to do, Uma,” Ben said, confused. He thought she would be happy. He’d found a solution that was more favorable to both sides. That should call for congratulations, shouldn’t it?

“Sometimes what’s right isn’t the right thing to do,” Uma said. “There are bigger things to weigh here. You betrayed King Arthur. This isn’t your kingdom, Ben. You made that decision as if these people were yours. I can guarantee you you’ve just lost Camelot’s support. They’re the heart of Auradon. It was important to keep them on our side, no matter the cost.”

“I’m sorry, Uma. I just couldn’t leave the people defensiveness.”

“If you’re going to keep making decisions because they’re the right thing to do and not because they’re the smart thing to do, then you’ve already lost the war. You might as well step down from the throne now.”

“But a magic school could be really good for the kingdom. It could be good for you, Uma.”

She looked at him in disbelief. “Don’t tell me you made that stupid ass decision for my sake.”

“It wasn’t just for your sake. I have other friends who will benefit from it too. Mal, Evie.” He bit his tongue to stop himself from saying Carlos. That was the main reason he’d thought of it. It would be a safe place for Carlos to learn about his powers from Merlin.

“Well, we’re going to need to win someone back. Maybe if you reverse your decision about the party, Agrabah would be on your side again.”

“But then I might lose Cinderellasburg and Auroria and Charmington. The odds have been stacked against me from the start, Uma. I know I’m fighting a losing battle, but I can’t give up.” He took a deep breath and lowered his voice. “Because that would mean admitting that taking down the barrier was a mistake.”

“You really believe that, Ben? You really believe leaving us to rot on the Isle would have been better? If you’d closed the barrier for good, all of us on the Isle would have starved to death. No food grows on the Isle, remember? We rely on Auradon’s leftovers and rejects. Did you even think about the fact that closing the barrier was sentencing the entire Isle to death? You made the right choice taking down the barrier. Your mistake was everything you’ve done after that. How you’ve failed to integrate former villains into Auradon society.”

She was right, of course. He hadn’t even thought about what closing the barrier would mean for the people on the Isle of the Lost. He’d been more concerned about keeping the people in Auradon safe. But closing the barrier for good had never been his plan. It was Mal’s idea, and he’d just gone along with it like he always did. He relied too much on other people’s council because he was terrified of making mistakes himself.

And with his decision at Camelot, the first one he’d made entirely on his own in a while, he had finally made his own mistake. He couldn’t blame this one on anyone but himself. But he did feel like he could learn from it.

The school was happening, which meant he would need to change his official stance on magic. Maybe he could win Neverland’s support back that way. The fairies were always asking for permission to work spells. It was a small step, but an important one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of politics this chapter, but hey, the duel was fun, right? Danger is definitely on the horizon. Next chapter will reveal some secrets. Stay tuned.


	12. Shifting Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carlos has a nightmare and turns into a wolf in his sleep. They flee Camelot in the middle of the night. Ben checks on Carlos to make sure he's okay, and Harry shares a few secrets with Carlos.

Shadows stretched across the stone walls, closing in around him like a spidery cage. Carlos crouched on a rug, heart racing in his chest. He stepped forward, his paws heavy on the stone floor of the castle. Voices sounded in the distance, growing nearer, and metal clanged against metal.

A kind, low voice pulled his heartstrings, bringing the promise of safety. If he could just get to the man he loved, everything would be okay. A crash sounded behind him, and he whirled around to see an axe chopping through the door. Carlos backed up, searching for a way out, or somewhere his wolf body could hide. He couldn’t shift back into a human.

Terror was his master, and it held him in an iron grip. He whimpered as the axe hacked away enough of the door for a gloved hand to reach in and turn the lock. And then he was there. That imposing figure of a man.

King Arthur. Carlos knew him at once. He felt fear down in his bones as the man walked towards him. Carlos darted around him, springing through the gap in the door, only to feel the bite of the axe in his back.

He screamed, howled, thrashed. Then his body went still. He couldn’t feel his back paws anymore. Numbness took over, and he could feel that death would be soon to follow. But he would scream until his last breath.

…

Ben awoke to the sound of screaming. He scrambled out of bed, recognizing Carlos’s voice at once. He ran into the hallway and headed to Carlos’s room but found the door locked.

“Damn it!” he cried, pounding his fist against the door. “Carlos, are you okay? Can you hear me?”

The screams continued.

Ben felt like his heart was breaking. Carlos was clearly in pain, and he didn’t know what to do about it. Who would have the keys to his room? He didn’t even know where to find Sir Gawain. Why weren’t there any guards on this floor?

“Step aside.” Uma brushed past him and held out her seashell necklace. It glowed, and the door burst off its hinges.

Ben was so relieved he could kiss her.

Harry appeared right behind Uma, his worry a mirror of Ben’s own face.

They ran inside the room, only to find the bed empty. Ben rushed around the bed and found Carlos writhing on the floor. He was half human, half wolf, his face contorted in pain, tail thrashing beneath him, claws digging into his own arms. Blood trickled down his skin onto the floor. His legs were starting to transform too, ripping the seams of his trousers.

“Carlos, it’s okay. We’re here,” Ben said. Uma and Harry were frozen in place. Ben stepped forward carefully. “Carlos, please.”

He touched Carlos’s leg. His eyes wandered towards him, but they were not the familiar brown ones Ben knew. They were glowing red, and they didn’t seem to see Ben at all.

“Please don’t kill me. I’m not evil, I swear,” Carlos whimpered.

“We’re not going to kill you. It’s okay.” Ben held out his hands like he was placating an upset animal. It was the same way Carlos had approached him when Audrey had turned Ben into a beast.

“I don’t belong on the Isle of the Lost!” Carlos yelled.

“That’s not working, Ben!” Harry hissed. “We need to get him to stop transforming. What worked for your dad?”

“What?” Ben asked, confused.

“When your dad turned into a beast, what turned him human again?”

“That’s different. It was a curse. Only true love could break it.”

Harry groaned, turning to Uma. “Is there a spell you could do? Maybe you could put him to sleep or something.”

“Worth a shot.” Uma tried a spell, but Carlos was still thrashing on the floor.

“He’s still asleep,” Ben realized. “We need to wake him.” He grabbed a glass of water from the nightstand and splashed it onto Carlos’s face.

Carlos blinked, slick white hair sticking to his forehead. He was silent. He looked at the three of them, and then his fangs started growing and his nose turned wolfish. Fear evident in his wide eyes.

Ben grabbed onto his paw. “It’s okay, Carlos. You’re safe.” He smiled at Carlos, hoping it would calm him down a little.

Harry grabbed onto Carlos’s other paw. “Come on, pet. You’re strong enough to fight this.”

“Carlos, please, come back to us,” Ben pleaded.

Carlos started to shift back. His pointed ears shrunk to human size, rounding at the tips. His claws receded, and his fur seemed to crawl back into his skin. He sat up, looking at the blood streaking his arms. “Did I hurt anyone?” he asked.

“Naw, just my pride,” Harry said, glancing up at Uma.

Ben put a hand on Carlos’s shoulder, resisting the urge to pull him into a hug. He didn’t want to startle the poor boy after what he’d been through. “Do you remember what happened?”

Carlos nodded. “I had a dream, but it felt so much more real than all the others I’ve had. I think, I think King Arthur is going to kill me.”

Ben gasped. “What?”

“Hold up,” Uma said. “You’re a werewolf, I get that. But now you’re a psychic too? I call bullshit.”

“It may not be so far-fetched,” Carlos said, taking a deep breath. “There’s something I need to tell you guys.”

Ben rubbed his shoulder. “Are you sure?”

Carlos nodded. He looked up at Uma and Harry. “My grandfather is Merlin. He’s known to have the gift of foresight so I think it could have passed down to me.”

Uma’s eyes filled with understanding. “So that’s why we’re here looking for Merlin. You need him to help you learn about your magic.”

“And control all this werewolf stuff,” Carlos said.

Harry laughed. “Well, you are full of surprises, aren’t ya? You told me about everything else, but you conveniently left out the part about Merlin.”

Ben was shocked Carlos had trusted Harry with that information. Wasn’t he worried he would tell Uma? Well, it didn’t matter now since Uma had already found out. Ben should have kept a closer eye on Carlos. Maybe he would have been able to notice signs that Carlos was getting worse. They’d barely talked since he met his dad.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, Harry. But none of that matters now. We won’t be able to stick around long enough for Merlin to get here. We need to leave before King Arthur finds out what I am, before he hunts me down. He wants to eradicate magic.”

Ben twisted his head, confused. “How do you know that?”

“In my dream I just knew things. And felt things.” His cheeks turned bright red.

“He’s right,” Harry said. “I learned something about King Arthur while I was poking through the files in his office. Oh, don’t look at me like that, Benny boy. I was looking out for you and good thing too. King Arthur had a plan for if his law passed. Magic would not only be banned in Camelot, but punishable by death. I don’t think he’d talked to Merlin of the plan yet. He was wanting Merlin to cast a spell in Camelot that would alert them whenever magic was being used. It would have been a witch hunt.”

Uma slapped his arm. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I was going to,” Harry said. “Once we were far away from here. You know I would do anything to protect you.”

Uma huffed, rolling her eyes. “Sure you would.”

Carlos interrupted them. “Anyways, we need to get out of here. All of us, but especially me and Uma. Our magic makes us a threat, and I definitely don’t have enough control over my powers to use them to fight.”

“We can’t just leave in the middle of the night,” Ben argued. “That would be a major insult to our host.”

“I don’t think we have a choice, beasty boy,” Uma said. “I’ve had a bad feeling since we arrived here. We’re lucky King Arthur mistook me for Evie. If he’d known who I really was, I am certain he would not have let me attend that meeting.”

“What about Merlin?” Ben asked. “It’s clear now more than ever that Carlos needs help controlling this.”

“It’s okay,” Carlos assured him. “We’ll find someone else.”

“What about Uma? She’s a shapeshifter.” Ben looked at her with pleading eyes.

“But I don’t really understand how all that works. It’s different for me. Second nature.” Uma stroked her chin. “You know, if you’re just looking to talk to a shapeshifter, I know where we can find my mother. She’s not too far from here. I know she’s not a werewolf, but the magic works similarly from what I can tell. She learned how to do things the hard way.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Ben said. Uma was a good person, but her mother definitely wasn’t. They couldn’t trust that sea witch to help them. She’d just as soon turn the situation to her advantage.

“Let’s go see her,” Carlos said, meeting Ben’s eyes. “I can’t keep living like this. We were lucky the only person I hurt tonight was myself. I don’t want to take the chance I might hurt someone else.”

...

Carlos felt like they were criminals as they fled Camelot Castle in the dead of night. He was still on edge, like a vibrating string that wouldn’t calm down. He hadn’t fully shifted since King George’s castle. He thought he could avoid doing it again if he just controlled his feelings, but he’d been wrong.

The dream had caused him to shift, and dreams were outside of his control. He needed to find a way to suppress his wolf powers and fast. That was the only reason he was going to someone like Ursula. He didn’t trust her, but Uma did, and Ben trusted Uma. It would have to be good enough for him.

Once they were deep in the forest beyond Camelot, they stopped for a water break. Carlos’s watch revealed it was around four in the morning. Still dark as night, but the sun was not far off. They were too close to Camelot for him to feel safe yet, and he kept looking over his shoulder, expecting to see an armored knight or King Arthur himself.

“Hey, Carlos. How are you holding up?”

Carlos jumped. He hadn’t expected Ben to come over to him. “Sorry, still a little on edge.”

“That’s okay. Me too honestly.” Ben leaned against a tree and took a swig from his water flask.

Carlos raised an eyebrow, surprised. “What do you have to be afraid of?”

“King Arthur, same as you.”

“But he won’t come after you. You’re just an ordinary human.”

Ben reached for Carlos’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “It doesn’t matter whether he comes after me or not. He’s going to come after people I care about. He’ll come after you.”

Carlos’s breath hitched. The way Ben said that and the way he was holding his hand felt so romantic. He half expected Ben to confess he was in love with him right there.

“Whoa, are you okay, Carlos?”

Carlos’s knees were wobbling. “I think I need to sit down.” He sat against the tree, putting a hand to his racing heart.

Ben crouched down next to him. “Everything is going to be okay, Carlos. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect you. Your dream won’t come true.”

“You don’t know that. The dream could be years in the future. I heard a voice in the dream. I—I think it was your voice, Ben.” Carlos hoped he wasn’t blushing. The memory of the love and happiness he’d felt in his dream filled him with warmth.

“What was I doing in your dream?” Ben asked curiously.

Carlos couldn’t bear to tell him he was pretty sure they’d been together in the dream. It felt like it was even less likely to come true because of that fact. Even though Carlos had read in Snow White’s article that Ben liked him and everything Ben had done for him tonight had proved it, he still didn’t feel like it would actually happen between them.

“Please talk to me. Did I die in your dream?”

Carlos jumped, startled. Just the thought of Ben dying filled him with pain. “No, not at all. You were fighting with a sword, I think. Just outside the door. But King Arthur got to me first.”

Ben was silent for a moment, worry playing out across his face. Carlos waited to see if Ben would share anything with him. He knew there was stuff going on he didn’t know about. All the secret conversations Ben had been having with Uma over the past few days. It was all about politics. Carlos got the feeling Auradon was in danger.

“How did you know to splash water on me?” Carlos asked, desperate to change the subject.

The worried faded from Ben’s eyes, and he gave Carlos a soft smile. “Uma tried a spell to put you to sleep. When it didn’t work, I figured out that you were already asleep. That the things you were saying were all part of your dream. So I splashed water on you to wake you up.”

Carlos didn’t remember that part of his dream. “What did I say?”

“You asked King Arthur not to kill you, and then you said you didn’t belong on the Isle of the Lost.”

Carlos frowned, puzzled. “But the barrier is gone. Why would King Arthur send me back there?”

Ben bit his lip. He didn’t say anything, but Carlos understood the implication. In this future he saw, someone else was ruling Auradon. Someone who put the barrier back around the Isle of the Lost. A place where they would send not only villains, but anyone magical. It was a terrifying future, and Carlos dearly hoped they’d be able to avoid that.

“You ready to go?” Uma asked, coming over to them.

Ben looked over at Carlos, like he wanted to make sure Carlos was ready first. He gave him a small nod. He was just as eager to be on their way again.

“We’re ready,” Ben said.

Uma held out her hand to the king. Carlos was surprised to see that Ben took her offered hand and let her help him up. He stood up on his own, brushing the grass from his pants. He caught Harry staring after Uma and Ben as the two whispered more secrets to each other.

...

They rode all through the night, heading west through the forest towards Arendelle. They had to be careful not to ride into Lone Keep, the region where Agrabah was situated. Ben said their relations with Aladdin were not very good at the moment.

Carlos didn’t ask what that meant, but he felt a prickle of jealousy at Uma’s smug look. She obviously knew all about the situation in Agrabah. How much had Ben told her?

Carlos knew he had no right to feel this way. Ben might have told him if he hadn’t been ignoring him all week. He wanted to ask Ben about it, but he was worried that Ben wouldn’t tell him anything.

The sun came up in the morning and still they rode. It wasn’t until close to sunset that Uma insisted they set up camp. Carlos wished they could keep going, but he knew everyone was tired from the journey.

All four of them worked together to set up the three tents, then Uma went to cast the magical protections around the camp.

“Harry, you can gather provisions,” Ben said.

Harry looked at him in disbelief. “That’s the kind of task you give to someone you think won’t be useful.”

Ben smirked. “At least you’re smart enough to figure that out.”

Harry sputtered, clearly surprised at Ben ordering him around.

“I’ll go with you,” Carlos said, feeling bad for the guy.

They walked further into the woods, following the sound of water until they reached a stream. Carlos knelt down to start filling one of the flasks with water.

Harry snatched it out of his hands. “Give me that. Ben assigned this task to me.”

Carlos shrugged and sat back on the grass. He watched Harry as he worked. He really had such nice dark eyelashes and a stunning body too. Carlos missed those strong arms, the feel of them wrapped tightly around him. It was only too easy to get swept up in the past.

“Are you okay?” Harry asked.

Carlos blinked, realizing he’d zoned out. “Sorry, just distracted.”

Harry flexed his muscles. “You find me distracting, pet?”

Carlos swallowed, not wanting to answer that. Harry said he didn’t want to be with him, but he kept tempting him with words like that. “Did Uma hear you call me pet or was that something I imagined?”

Harry stiffened. “She heard it clear as day.”

“I’m sorry. Does she suspect anything?”

“I don’t think so. She didn’t say anything about it. She’s been too distracted with Ben lately anyways.”

“So it does bother you that they’re spending so much time together,” Carlos said, crossing his arms.

Harry sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Yes, okay. I’m mad with jealousy. He called her beautiful yesterday. I mean, of course he would, she’s gorgeous, but still.”

“It’s okay to be jealous. You don’t have to beat yourself up about it.”

Harry nodded and ran a hand through his wild hair. “I’m just confused right now, I guess. I wish I knew for sure whether she liked him or not. Giving gifts, sharing secrets, it could all be part of her plan. I’m trying to trust that she's only flirting with Ben for political gain. Even though my insides are screaming at me that she's going to leave me for him.”

“I don’t think she will. Ben doesn’t like Uma like that.” Carlos was saying it more because it was what he wanted to believe. He knew Ben liked him, but it was certainly possible he liked Uma too. And Uma could actually control her powers, which made her a much better option for Ben than Carlos...

Harry gave him an incredulous look. “Have you been paying attention at all? That boy is head over heels for her.”

“Actually, I think Ben likes me.”

Harry sighed, leaning back on the grass. “Aye, I noticed that too.”

Carlos gaped. “How?”

“Just the way he acts around you and looks out for you. The way he was so attentive to you when you had that dream last night. That boy’s got it bad.”

Carlos put his hands in his lap, not sure what to say. If Harry had noticed, had Uma noticed too?

“What’s wrong, pet? Don’t you like him back?”

Carlos studied Harry for a moment, considering what he should tell him. He’d already told him the worst of his secrets, and he trusted Harry not to tell anyone else. “I do like him but…”

“It’s not because of me, is it?”

“No, it’s not that,” Carlos said. “It’s because of that thing I did. I killed someone. And if Ben ever finds out, he’s not going to want to be with me. I can’t enter a relationship with him while hiding something so horrible from him.”

“Ben isn’t the one you need to worry about. You’re going to have to learn to forgive yourself, pet. That’s what’s really stopping you from being with him.”

“That’s not—”

“Don’t try to lie to me. I know you.”

Carlos nodded, but he wasn’t sure if Harry was right this time. Ben was the epitome of good. He’d never even heard him use a curse word. Ben could forgive Carlos and his friends for trying to steal the wand and Audrey for stealing the crown and scepter, but there had to be a limit to what he would forgive. And murder seemed pretty damn unforgiveable.

He could just imagine the look on Ben’s face. The disappointment. The horror. The love fading from his eyes like a candle being snuffed out.

And even if by some impossible miracle Ben forgave him, Carlos was afraid it would happen again. What if next time he attacked someone he cared about? He couldn’t trust himself right now. He could’ve easily hurt Ben or Harry last night.

“Whatever you’re thinking right now, it’s not going to get you anywhere,” Harry said.

Carlos bit his lip. “I know. But Ben is so good and perfect. He’ll hate me if he learns what I did.”

Harry snorted. “The king is not perfect. Not by a long shot. He’s made a ton of mistakes lately.”

“Mistakes? Like what?”

Harry raised an eyebrow. “He really hasn’t talked to you about anything?”

“No.” Carlos felt left out, but he knew it was his own fault. He should have asked Ben what was going on, instead of icing him out all week.

“I don’t know all of it, but Uma’s told me the highlights. He’s been ignoring the former villains’ requests. He only put three villains—Hades, Dr. Facilier, and Madam Mim—on his beloved council, and he rarely lets them speak. Apparently, they’re rather pissed about how he’s been treating them. Not to mention he’s hosting that big party to celebrate taking down the barrier, and he’s decided that villains will not be allowed to attend, only their children. Aladdin is upset about it, so Agrabah is now in talks with Northern Wei to break away from Auradon.”

Carlos gasped. “That’s what he meant earlier about Aladdin.”

Harry nodded grimly. “And at the meeting in Camelot, King Arthur asked Ben to stand in for Merlin and argue against magic. Ben agreed to it, but he ended up undermining King Arthur’s authority with his new idea for a school of magic in Camelot. I expect he thought he was doing you a favor, but King Arthur was not happy that Ben betrayed him like that.”

“Well, we both know how against magic King Arthur is. It seems like Ben made the right decision.”

“In theory, yes, and the majority voted on his idea. But he also made a powerful enemy. That mistake could lead to a civil war. All Camelot needs to do is join forces with Agrabah and Northern Wei, and they wouldn’t even need to secede from Auradon. They could take over the entire country. If that happens, Ben will have a lot more blood on his hands than you do.”

Carlos could hardly believe Harry’s words, but they made a lot of sense with his dream. If Carlos’s vision was truly of the future, then Ben was going to lose the war. “But I’m sure he’s not trying to start a war.”

“Of course not, but he’s not being smart lately. He’s been trying to do everything on his own, without seeking the counsel he needs. That’s why I will let Uma flirt with him all she wants, no matter how painful it is to watch. Her ideas can save Auradon, if he’ll only listen to her.”

Carlos felt a bit disillusioned, and he was reminded of the time Ben lied to him. He hadn’t told Carlos that he’d attacked him in wolf form at King George’s castle until a few days later. But this was a much bigger mistake. A little of Ben’s shine had rubbed off, but it didn’t make Carlos like him any less. Mistakes made Ben more human, more approachable. He didn’t seem so far out of reach anymore. Carlos liked him even more and wished he could be one of the people to help Ben. He didn’t think he’d be good at politics, but he could be there for Ben when he became overwhelmed. He could keep him calm, make sure he’d explored all the options before rushing to a decision.

He wanted to run to Ben right now and ask him to tell him everything, but he knew Ben was tired. He should let him sleep. There was no sense keeping anyone else up. Carlos knew he wouldn’t get any sleep that night. He was too afraid to close his eyes. If he shifted in his sleep again, he could hurt his friends. He could hurt Ben.

If they could just get to Ursula, Carlos could learn how to control these powers. Even if he still had to deal with the transformations, he could become aware of his actions during it. He could find out what really triggers it and find out how to avoid hurting anyone else. Then and only then could he consider thinking about romance again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was intense, but I really enjoyed writing it. I'm very excited to introduce Ursula into the story. And Ben will soon be realizing something about himself. Stay tuned!


	13. A Painful Reminder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the way to Ursula's hideout, Ben and Uma run into trouble in Arendelle. Harry proves his loyalty, and Carlos seeks answers.

Ben was sick of salty nuts and dried raisins. He ate them because he was hungry, but they felt like cardboard in his mouth. What he wouldn’t give for some fresh fruit…

He shook his head, trying to focus on the journey at hand. They were walking through the forest, leading the horses by their reins. He felt like such a spoiled brat for thinking so much about food when he should be worrying about Carlos.

Carlos looked like a walking zombie. It was pretty clear to Ben that he hadn’t slept at all last night. Not that Ben blamed him. He couldn’t imagine how scary it would be to turn into a wolf in your sleep.

A stomach rumbled, and they all turned to look at Carlos. “Sorry. I’m always hungry lately. I think it’s a werewolf thing,” he said, blushing.

“No need to apologize,” Ben said. “We have some nuts and raisins.”

“Is that really all we have left?” Carlos asked, making a face.

Ben suppressed a laugh. He didn’t feel so bad about being picky anymore. They hadn’t packed much food this time since they had fled Camelot in the dead of night. All the dried meat had been eaten yesterday for dinner.

“Afraid so.”

Uma rubbed her chin. “The only place nearby is Arendelle. I was planning to go around it, but I suppose we can stop there to restock since it’s on the way. We should be able to reach there in about an hour.”

“Do you think it’s safe?” Harry asked.

“Hard to say, but we won’t manage the rest of the trip with just nuts and raisins, and all the berry bushes have died thanks to this bizarre weather. I’ve got some money left.”

Harry pulled a handful of forks and knives out of his bag. “And I’ve got enough stuff to barter if we run out.”

Ben raised an eyebrow. “Where did you get all that?”

Cheekily Harry smiled. “Remember that morning we had breakfast together? Well, let’s just say I helped the servants do the dishes.”

“You stole them,” Ben realized.

“Oh, don’t look so surprised. I was one of the best thieves on the Isle, even better than Jay. I managed to capture you, didn’t I?”

“That’s not fair. I was distracted.”

“Ah, yes. Heartbroken because your stupid girlfriend rejected you.”

“You know,” Uma said, turning to Ben, “there’s something I’ve always wondered. Did you let Harry kidnap you?”

“What?” Ben and Harry asked at the same time.

“Just as I said. I think you wanted Harry to kidnap you. That way Mal would be forced to make a choice. Save you, or leave you to rot. You always believe in the good of everyone. I think you knew she would come for you, and you knew that me and my crew wouldn’t kill you. You trusted us, even before you knew us.”

Ben stared at Uma in awe. “I never really thought of it that way, but you might actually be right. I saw Harry coming towards me, and I could tell he was up to no good. I could’ve run, but instead I pretended not to see him. And honestly I remember feeling a little relieved when he grabbed me because I knew Mal would come for me.”

“For Kraken’s sake, will you shut up about that girl?” Harry said, rolling his eyes dramatically.

Ben bit his lip, stunned. He hadn’t expected Harry to have such a vehement reaction to Mal. Thankfully he was spared from having to reply by Uma.

“This is taking too long. We’re all starving, and it’s making some of us kranky.” She shot a glare at Harry. “Come on, let’s put these horses to good use.” She smirked as she swung onto her saddle, gripping the reins tight.

…

The market in Arendelle was full of people. Ben was interested in looking at all the shops. There was so much to do here, and the people were so friendly. But Uma didn’t want them to linger in the city too long.

“We’ll split up to get this done quickly,” Uma said. “Carlos, go with Harry. I’ll look around with Ben.”

Carlos looked like he wanted to argue, but he followed Harry through the marketplace. Ben wished that he could have walked around with Carlos. He wanted to keep an eye on the boy and make sure he didn’t fall asleep on his feet.

Uma grabbed his elbow. “Come on, beasty boy. Let’s get you some fresh fruit.”

“How did you know?” Ben asked in surprise.

Cackling, Uma shook her head. “You know how many TV specials on the royal family have shown you eating all sorts of fruits? Everyone was so interested in the fact that Mal likes strawberries, but I can tell you like them too. You look genuinely happy when you’re eating fruit.”

“Actually blueberries are my favorite,” Ben said, blushing. He had no idea the TV showed him eating so much. And starving people from the Isle of the Lost had to watch? That wasn’t right.

Uma led him to a stall and bought some fresh fruit for him. It felt weird that she was buying him things. He was the king who had lived in luxury all his life, and she was the girl from the Isle who grew up with nothing. But right now he had nothing too. All his pocket money and even his cell phone had been left behind in the burning carriage.

“Thank you,” he said and proceeded to scarf down a handful of blueberries.

Uma grabbed a few from his palm and plopped them into her mouth. She gave him a sideways smile. “Hey, I paid for them.”

Ben laughed. “You know I don’t mind sharing.”

“Yeah, but it’s more fun this way.”

“Alms for the poor.” An old woman held out a hand to him.

Ben picked up another handful of blueberries, intending to give them to the woman, but Uma closed her palm around his hand. She passed the woman a few shiny coins, and the woman ran off, cackling in glee.

“Why did you do that?” Ben asked, surprised. He couldn’t decide if he was more surprised that Uma had stopped him from offering berries or that Uma had given the woman money.

Uma shrugged. “I know her. That was Mother Gothel, Rapunzel’s adoptive mother.”

“You mean the woman who stole Rapunzel when she was a baby?”

She nodded. “Looks like she’s not doing too well. Arendelle is one of the few kingdoms that has not tried to drive away its homeless population. Queen Anna and King Kristoff make efforts to provide food and warm blankets to all who ask.”

Ben looked around. He could see it now. Dozens of people huddled in doorways or sitting on the cold stone ground. He would have never known they were former villains if Uma hadn’t told him. They all looked the same. Gaunt, hungry, bedraggled. These were the people he should have been helping after opening the barrier.

He couldn’t even look at the villains anymore. Shame weighed heavy on his shoulders. He’d been so concerned with protecting the heroes and their children that he hadn’t even thought of what he could do to help the former villains. He knew of the increased homeless population of course, but it was one thing to hear it in a council meeting, another thing entirely to see it firsthand.

“What else do we need?” Ben asked.

“Foods that will travel well. Dried meat, pumpkin or sunflower seeds, definitely some bread. Maybe some chocolate if you want a little treat.”

Ben glanced at the homeless people again. He wished he could do something for them, but he wouldn’t be able to do anything until he got back to his castle. Besides, he was on a mission here. He needed to stay focused.

They walked around the marketplace and purchased the rest of the supplies. Uma tucked everything away in her bag. She’d been smart to bring one with many pockets. He didn’t doubt that she made journeys like this fairly often.

He was taking a bite of the chocolate to calm himself when a homeless girl who looked his own age appeared out of nowhere. She clutched his arm tightly, her grey eyes wide and wild. Her dark hair was a massive mess around her head. “The devil is inside you. It seeks to destroy us all.”

Uma clutched her wrist and pried her off Ben. “That’s enough.”

The girl’s eyes fell upon Uma, but they looked distant, lost. “You cannot kill her, no matter how much you wish it,” she said.

“Who?” Uma demanded.

But the girl wouldn’t answer. Her eyes fell upon Ben again. “The devil will take you within the fortnight. But all hope is not lost yet. Another devil may save you if you—”

Uma’s necklace glowed and the girl flew backwards. She picked herself off the ground and scampered away.

“What was that for? It sounded like a prophecy.”

Uma snorted. “Coming to Auradon and adjusting to life on the streets is too much for some villains. She’s gone completely mad.”

Ben felt awful for the girl. Opening the barrier was supposed to create new opportunities, especially for the children of the villains, but this girl hadn’t gotten that chance. He wondered if she’d been delusional before she came to Auradon or if like Uma had said the move and being homeless was what made her that way.

They continued walking through the market, trying to see if they could spot Harry and Carlos. Ben was half afraid they would find them making out in some corner. He wasn’t prepared for that, and he knew Uma wouldn’t be either.

A newsstand caught Ben’s attention. He reached over to pick up a paper with the headline KING BEN’S NEW STANCE ON MAGIC.

_After evading the media for_ _days, King Ben appeared at Camelot Castle to attend a meeting regarding magic use in Camelot. Unexpectedly, King Ben showed support for allowing magic, going against King Arthur who he had promised to support. He brought Princess Evie of Charmington with him as his advisor. King Ben was not available for comment, but our sources in Camelot reveal that King Ben spent time alone with Princess Evie in her bedroom at the castle._

Ben stuffed the newspaper back onto the rack. How dare they suggest he was having intimate relations with Evie. It worked out in their favor that King Arthur thought Uma was Evie, but now it was coming back to bite them. Ben wasn’t surprised. People had been speculating on who he was dating ever since he and Mal broke up. What bothered him was that this was an official newspaper, not some silly gossip magazine. He expected better from them. And it hadn’t even mentioned his idea for the magic school. The paper simplified things and painted him in a bad light. They made it sound like he ran off with Evie and tricked King Arthur into allowing him to attend the meeting so he could betray him.

“You were right,” Ben told Uma. “All they can see is how I betrayed King Arthur.”

Uma put a hand on his shoulder. “No matter what you do, they will try to spin the story to make you look bad.”

“But if I had supported King Arthur like you said…”

“Then King Arthur would be killing people who practiced magic, and it would look like you support that. Look, I was wrong. I didn’t realize how big the game was. King Arthur is just a small piece of the chessboard. A pawn wearing a king’s crown. You made the right choice, Ben. I think I was mostly upset because you didn’t talk to me about it first. You said you would make me your advisor, and then you just ignored all of my advice.”

Ben nodded. “I can see how you would feel that way. I’m so sorry, Uma. I could have told Sir Gawain we needed more time and explained it all to you. I guess a part of me was hoping that my new plan would impress you.”

Uma raised an eyebrow. “You were trying to impress me?”

“Well, yeah. You were honest with me and told me all the ways I’ve been failing. You have been so right about everything. If I could do something that pleased you, then I would really know that I was finally doing something right.”

Uma stared at him, a mix of surprise and awe playing across her face. “You really trust me that much? We’ve only been talking like this for five or six days. How can you value my opinion so highly?”

Ben shrugged. “I can’t really explain it. It’s just a feeling. I know you are sincere about helping Auradon, and I’m man enough to admit that you’re smarter than me.”

“Am I just replacing Mal though?” Uma looked at her feet, disappointed.

Ben his lip. He didn’t know how to answer that. When it came down to politics, Uma was such an upgrade from Mal. She knew more about history and how to be diplomatic. She saw the whole board, rather than the parts that affected her. It felt wrong to compare such different people.

A man jostled into him, and Ben stumbled forwards. He managed to regain his footing as a sharp blade pressed against his throat. A hand tugged at his hair, holding him in place, and Ben winced in pain.

Uma didn’t waste any time. Her seashell glowed and the knife burned his throat until the man dropped it. Uma grabbed Ben’s hand and pulled him away from the man. He glanced back to see the man was wearing a black hood, only a dark beard and pale skin visible beneath it.

They ran through the crowd, dodging moving carts and ducking behind wagons to try to lose the assassin’s trail, but the further they got through the city, the more people joined the chase. Ben could tell it was a lot of homeless villains, the same people he’d felt sorry for an hour ago.

Uma yanked him down an alleyway and pushed him under an arched doorway. Uma put her arms on either side of him to box him in.

Ben’s heart was racing. He rubbed at his throbbing throat. The burn mark was thin, but it hurt like a thousand tiny needles. He felt like he needed to pour water over it, or bathe in lotion. Something. It was so hard to stay completely still.

Uma pulled back and started rummaging through her bag. She pulled out her phone and typed out a message. “Merman’s beard, Harry better have his phone on,” she mumbled. She waited, biting her lip as she stared at the screen, then she smiled. “Harry will cause a distraction in the marketplace. He says he’ll make it loud. When we hear it, we need to make a run for it. There’s a safe house in the woods. It’s where I was planning for us to stay tonight. Only Harry and I can find the entrance to it, so no one can find us once we’re there.”

“What about Carlos?” Ben asked.

“He’ll have to fend for himself. Don’t worry. No one’s trying to kill him.”

“King Arthur might be! That man who attacked me could be one of his men.”

Uma looked at him in disbelief. “Are you really that far in denial? I think it’s pretty clear that the villains from the Isle of the Lost are the ones after you. They were chasing you down the streets.”

“I know. It’s just—” He rubbed his neck, but it did nothing to soothe the burn. “I’m worried about Carlos. He’s scared right now and he hasn’t gotten any sleep. He’s not in any shape to fight. I don’t want anything bad happening to him.”

“Oh, wow,” Uma said. She looked a bit hurt, but that didn’t make any sense. She was about to say more when a loud bang sounded. Dust sprayed over them as the awning they were huddled under shook. “Well, that’s our cue.”

…

Carlos mounted Uma’s horse and leaned close to her ear. “Find her, girl.” He kicked her side to spur her into action. They cantered down the side streets of Arendelle away from the inn. He was careful to dodge any people that came across their path.

Harry was setting off improvised fireworks in the marketplace. He’d instructed Carlos to pick up Uma’s horse from the inn. They were smart creatures, and he was certain Uma’s horse would find its owner. Carlos hoped he was right. He knew he wouldn’t be able to make it to the safe house on his own.

The horse thundered through the streets, but no one seemed to pay any attention to him. Everyone was trying to find out what was going in the marketplace. Carlos realized he looked like he was afraid of the noises. People who did look at him shot him glances of pity. He did his best to ignore them.

He was relieved when he crossed the tree line into the forest. Uma’s scent came to him with ease. It was like a sea breeze on a sandy shore. He’d been ignoring his heightened senses for days, but desperation allowed him to use his werewolf powers.

She was close by. Would he be able to get to her in time? He spurred the horse to go faster, and relief tore through him when he saw Uma and Ben up ahead. He had to remind himself not to call out to them.

When he reached them, Ben pulled him into a hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

Carlos took a moment to enjoy Ben’s warmth. He’d been so scared that Ben would be fatally injured. As he pulled back, he noticed Ben had a horizontal mark across his neck. Had someone tried to use a garotte on him?

Carlos pushed his shoulder. “Me? What about you? Harry said someone tried to assassinate you. Again.”

“Speaking of, where’s Harry?” Uma asked, sounding worried.

“He said he’d be right behind me,” Carlos said. “But I haven’t seen him.”

She bit her lip. “Dammit. That fool’s going to get himself captured.”

“I think you’re underestimating him,” Carlos said. “We just need to give him some time. Come on, let’s get to the safe house before someone sees us.”

Uma nodded. She led the way through the forest to a weeping willow tree and pulled aside the fronds. They stepped into a clearing that hadn’t been there before. Up ahead was a cottage that looked abandoned with a stable next to it.

It was quite rundown inside, but it was a nice enough place. It had a working kitchen, bathroom, and three bedrooms. Carlos and Ben each got a room, while Uma said she would share the master bedroom with Harry. Carlos went to the stable to care for the horse since Uma had to take care of Ben’s injury.

…

Ben felt immediate relief as Uma dabbed a salve she’d made onto his burn.

“I’m sorry that the dagger burned you. I just needed him to let go of it. I aimed for the handle to get hot, but metal conducts heat so...”

Ben laughed, then winced as the pain increased. “It’s okay, Uma, really. You needed to act fast, and you made a decision to get the dagger away from me as fast as possible. You saved my life, Uma. A little burn is nothing. I got out of the carriage fire with no burns, so I was bound to run out of luck eventually.”

“I got distracted by that paper you were reading and what we were talking about. I should have been paying more attention.”

“Don’t beat yourself up, Uma. I just feel so lucky that you were there.”

“It wasn’t luck,” Uma said. “I made sure that I was the one to walk around with you. To keep you safe. Why do think I’ve been spending so much time with you? I enjoy your company, sure, but I’m also the only one here equipped to defend you at a moment’s notice. Harry is skilled at fighting, but he is useless against magic. And Carlos, well, he doesn’t have any control right now.”

“I hope your mother can help him with that.”

Uma nodded. “Me too.” She finished with the salve and closed the top on the jar. She set it on the table beside his bed. “If you need more, you can apply a little every few hours. I’ve infused it with some magic so it will both help with healing and soothe the pain. Not as speedy as Fairy Godmother’s magic, but it should heal up in about a week. With no scars, I promise.”

Ben smiled at her. “Thank you so much, Uma.”

After that, she went to sit on the porch and watch the spot where they had come into the safe location. Ben stared at her from his window. She was so dedicated to Harry, and even though Ben thought Harry was just a flirt and a cheater, he could tell that there was love between Uma and Harry. After all, Harry had put himself in danger because Uma asked him to help.

It was pitch dark outside when a horse came galloping into the field. Ben almost didn’t notice Harry was on the horse until the pirate dropped down onto the ground. Uma rushed over to check on him. Ben and Carlos ran outside to see if he was okay.

Harry stood up with Uma’s help. “Someone saw me setting the fireworks, and the villains came after me. I gave them the runaround, and then got caught by the palace guards. They got me all the way inside the castle before I managed to escape again. Got back to the inn and grabbed my horse. Had to leave the other two horses behind though.”

Uma rubbed his back. “It’s okay. We’ll get them after we see my mother. Any injuries I should know about?”

“Naw, I’m just worn out. Please tell me you and Ben managed to find some food.”

Uma nodded. “Yes, don’t worry. Here, I’ll help you to the table and get you something to eat.”

Carlos got on Harry’s other side to help support him. While they helped him inside the house, Ben led Harry’s horse to the stable. He fed her and cleaned her, using the task to keep his mind off other more worrisome things, but it didn’t really help.

People wanted him dead. The Isle of the Lost was part of Auradon. They were always his people, and he’d treated them terrible from the beginning. Opening up the barrier was supposed to improve their lives, but it didn’t. He could understand why they were upset. He wanted to make some big proclamation and let them all know that he cared about them and that he would try better in the future, but he feared that it was too late. They would just be words, empty promises.

Ben finished caring for the horse and secured her in the stall. He trudged back to his bedroom and collapsed onto his bed, exhausted.

A knock sounded at the door.

“Come in.”

Carlos stepped into the room. “Can we talk?”

Ben sat up. “Of course. What’s going on?”

Carlos came over to sit on the bed next to Ben. He fiddled with his hands nervously in his lap. “You really scared me today, Ben. I don’t like being out of the loop.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Harry told me about all the political problems you’ve been having lately. I want you to know that you can talk to me about those problems too. I want to know what’s going on. It was bad enough when the carriage was attacked. I had no idea who was after us. Uma had mentioned she thought it was the displaced villains, but you never said whether you believed her or not. You and Uma have come up with your secret theories. I should be someone you can confide in too. You were my first friend in Auradon, and you’re important to me, not just because you’re the king.”

Ben nodded. “You’re important to me too, and I wanted to tell you, Carlos, I swear. I just thought that you were dealing with enough with your dad and this werewolf stuff. And the time I did try to talk to you, you completely shut me out. I thought you didn’t want to hear about any of the political stuff. Besides, you were spending all your time confiding in Harry.”

“I know,” Carlos said. “We’re both to blame for this. It was easier to talk to Harry because his opinion doesn’t matter to me as much. I know that sounds harsh, but it’s true.”

“Oh, really? And here I thought it was because his opinion mattered more.”

Carlos laughed. “So, can you tell me everything now? Uma says we’re here for the night. Might as well make use of this time, right?”

“I’d be happy to tell you. I just hope you won’t think lesser of me.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Carlos said, taking his hand. “You’re human. We all make mistakes. I’d rather hear about your mistakes than picture you as this idealized person I can never reach. We’re in this together. We’re going to need each other to survive this crazy, messed up world.”

Ben squeezed his hand. “You’re right, Carlos.”

Ben patted the spot beside him on the bed, and Carlos crawled under the covers next to him. They stayed up for hours as Ben told him everything. All of the council meetings, the troubles with Northern Wei and Agrabah and Neverland. His big mistake in Camelot.

Carlos listened intently, nodding along and responding when Ben wanted to hear his opinion. It went better than Ben had ever hoped. Carlos showed no judgment, just a willingness to listen and help.

Carlos leaned his head on Ben’s shoulder as Ben was sharing a story about a particularly boring council meeting. He looked over to see that Carlos had fallen asleep. Ben felt so relieved. He knew Carlos hadn’t been sleeping and that he needed the rest.

Ben started to move on the bed, careful to be quiet so he wouldn’t wake him. Carlos’s arm snaked across his torso and Carlos’s face nuzzled into his chest. Ben found himself trapped under Carlos’s surprisingly strong grip.

Ben debated on whether he should wake Carlos. If he did, Carlos probably wouldn’t go back to sleep. Ben didn’t really mind staying like this. It was comfortable, and Carlos was warm. But would Carlos be embarrassed in the morning if he woke up in bed with Ben?

Exhaustion made the decision for him, and he fell asleep, fingers absently tracing through Carlos’s curls.

…

Carlos was so sure Ben would make him go back to his own bed. He hadn’t expected his trick to work. He’d pretended to fall asleep to see what Ben would do. It was a bad choice because now his heart was racing.

He shouldn’t be entertaining thoughts of Ben. They still hadn’t figured out how to control his werewolf shifts. Getting close to him was dangerous, but he couldn’t help but enjoy the comfort of leaning on Ben’s chest. The feel of Ben’s fingers petting his hair was absolute bliss.

It had been such a stressful day. Carlos had come very close to losing Ben. If Uma hadn’t gotten the assassin to drop their weapon or if she’d been just a little slower, Ben could be dead. It made Carlos want to hold on to him even closer.

Carlos was comfortable enough that he could have fallen asleep, but he didn’t let himself. If he fell asleep here, he really could shift again and hurt Ben. That was the last thing he wanted. He would never forgive himself if he did anything to harm him.

He redirected his thoughts to all Ben had told him about the troubles in Auradon. It really did sound like a war was coming. The thought completely terrified Carlos. He spent the rest of the night worrying about what war would mean for the country.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter took so long. I ended up completely rewriting it because I wasn't happy with the previous draft. It's much better now, so I hope you will enjoy it.
> 
> Next chapter will be Ursula's hideout!


	14. Poor Unfortunate Souls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group goes to Ursula's hideout, but she won't help Carlos for free. It will take sacrifices, secrets, and trust to get the answers they need.

By the time sunlight was peeking through the window, Ben was curled up next to Carlos like a little puppy. He had his head on Carlos’s chest and his arm wrapped around his waist.

With a smug smile, Carlos petted Ben’s hair. He was enjoying this far too much, but he was trying to make the most of it while it lasted. Soon Ben would wake up and Carlos would have to pretend like he’d gotten a good night’s sleep.

The door creaked and Carlos turned his head, startled.

Harry stood there, peering into the room. He grinned at Carlos and waggled his eyebrows. “Nice work, pet,” he said.

“It’s not what it looks like,” Carlos said in a rush.

Harry chuckled softly. “You’d better get out of bed soon if you don’t want Uma finding out. We had a nice night too.” He winked and shut the door.

Carlos suddenly felt very weird about cuddling with Ben. It felt amazing, but he needed to get his head back in the game. Today they’d be going to see Ursula. He had to make sure he was prepared and knew what to say to her. He carefully pushed Ben off him so he wouldn’t wake up and crawled out of bed.

He hurried back to his room before Uma could see him. He didn’t know why he was so paranoid. It wasn’t like he and Ben had slept together. Well, they had, but not like that. Platonic cuddling between two people who liked each other. Yeah, that wasn’t strange at all.

Carlos changed into a fresh set of clothes. He’d been stupid and bought a lot of red clothes in Camelot, so he was back to wearing the black pants and grey shirt he’d borrowed from Jane. He threw on his black jacket with a white paw print emblazoned on the back.

Uma was cooking breakfast when he got to the kitchen. “My mom won’t be up til noon anyways, so we have a little time to chill,” she explained.

Carlos sat down at the table. “Not a bad place. How’d you manage this?”

“We found it already like this. I used a cloaking spell, and my crew has helped me fix it up over the last year.”

“How many of these safe houses do you have?”

Uma studied him for a moment and shrugged. “Enough. The big one is Gil and Jane’s house.”

“They come in handy. What do you normally use them for? Smuggling?”

Uma shot him a glare. “Mind your own business, wolf boy.”

…

Ben’s jaws parted wide in a yawn. He stretched to find the spot next to him empty. Carlos either left during the night or woke up earlier than him. Hopefully the latter. The poor guy needed some rest.

He changed into a fresh set of clothes borrowed from Gil and headed into the kitchen. He found Uma and Carlos sitting together at the table. Unusual.

“Good morning,” Ben said, raising an eyebrow.

Carlos whipped around to look at him. His face was flushed, like he had a fever. “Morning, Ben.”

Uma groaned, getting up from her chair. “Sit down, beasty boy. Hope you like pancakes.”

“Love them.”

Uma dumped her plate in the sink and summoned Harry. Ben and Carlos ate breakfast at the table while the pirates went to check on the horses. They would be walking the rest of the way, so Uma wanted to make sure they had enough to eat before they left.

“How long have you been up?” Ben asked.

Carlos shrugged. “An hour.”

Ben frowned. Carlos had been twitchy all through breakfast. Ben had hoped the extra rest last night would help him today, but he was sure the nerves were getting to him. Not that he blamed him. They had no idea what to expect when it came to Ursula.

“Are you nervous about today?” Ben asked.

Carlos nodded his head. “I just hope we can get some answers this way. I’m tired of being afraid all the time.”

Ben had a strong urge to comfort Carlos, to pull him into his arms and tell him everything was going to be okay, but Harry came back into the room just then. Ben was reminded of the kiss he’d seen between Carlos and Harry a few days ago, of how Carlos had trusted Harry enough to tell him he was a werewolf, of all the time they’d spent alone together lately.

Were they hooking up again? Harry had seemed particularly attentive while Carlos was halfway through his shift. The way he’d treated Carlos was almost loving. But even if Harry was sincere, the idea of the two of them together bothered him. Harry had proven his loyalty to the kingdom yesterday when he’d risked his life to help Ben escape, but that didn’t mean Ben had to like him.

“Carlos, are you ready?” Uma asked, coming into the room.

“Yeah, are we all packed to go?”

“We’d better leave our stuff here,” Uma said. “I don’t want to risk dropping our supplies in the sea or anything. Just bring any weapons you can conceal.”

Carlos nodded.

Ben stood up, eager to be on the way. “Let’s do this.”

Uma shook her head, putting her gloved hand on his elbow. “You’re not coming, beasty boy. You’ll stay here at the safe house where no assassins can get to you.”

He blinked at her, surprised. “Of course I’m coming. I can’t let Carlos meet your mother alone.”

“Harry and I will protect him, I promise.”

“No,” Ben said firmly.

Harry’s eyes went wide, and his gaze flicked to Uma. He seemed to be waiting for her reaction. Ben imagined no one else spoke to Uma like that. Even Uma herself seemed surprised.

She glanced at Carlos, then back to Ben. “My mother is one of the fools plotting against you. I can’t have you walking right into her grasp. If she doesn’t kill you outright, she’ll capture you and hold you for ransom to get your family to give her the crown. Trust me, I know how she thinks.”

“Then we don’t tell her who I am.”

“She reads the papers and those stupid gossip magazines. And don’t forget that your father had all of your royal events streamed to our TVs on the Isle. She’ll know you on sight.”

“Disguise me. Like Evie did when I went to the Isle,” Ben said.

Uma cackled. “That princess did a terrible job. Even Gil saw through your disguise.”

“Well, you’re a lot more talented than Evie,” Ben said with a smile, hoping to charm her into agreeing.

Uma’s cheeks went red. “Don’t waste your time with flattery. I’ll do it. You’re still wearing Gil’s clothes, so that part will work. Just need some accessories, and I’ll need to do something about that hair.” She made a face.

“What’s wrong with my hair?” Ben asked.

Harry laughed. “What’s not wrong with it?”

Uma added a shark tooth necklace to his neck, five of Harry’s belts to his waist, and leather fingerless gloves to his hands. She had him leave the gold lion ring at the safe house but let him keep the bracelet she’d given him. Then she ripped off the sleeves of his tunic.

“That’s better.” She gestured to a spot on the couch. “Have a seat, Your Majesty.”

Ben obeyed, feeling nervous. He hoped he wouldn’t regret this.

Uma dug her fingers through his short brown hair, tugging at the strands in a way that had Ben leaning into her touch. She studied his hair, a finger to her lips as if she was lost in thought.

An unnatural wind twisted through his hair as the heavy scent of the ocean poured from Uma’s hands. She stepped back, crossing her arms. “That’ll do.”

Harry was quick to pull a dusty mirror from the wall and pass it to him.

Ben jumped, barely recognizing himself. His hair had grown to his shoulders, and it curled a little. Not quite as much as Carlos’s hair or Chad’s, but enough to look much different than normal. It was darker too, a brunette color like Harry’s.

And he had a short beard and mustache, just like he’d had after Audrey had turned him into a beast and Jane had turned him back with Enchanted Lake water. The water hadn’t been enough to reverse all the effects, so he’d maintained facial hair and sharp canine teeth.

The burn mark on his neck looked like a scar. He couldn’t help but feel that he looked like a pirate.

Uma took the turquoise scarf from her own waist and wrapped it around his head, tying it like a pirate’s bandanna. “There, perfect.”

Ben had to admit she’d done an amazing job, much better than Evie’s attempt to disguise him. He noticed Carlos had a strange expression on his face. “Do I look okay?” Ben asked him, nervous.

“What?” Carlos’s cheeks went red. “Yeah, you look fine. Just nothing like your usual self. It’ll take a little bit to get used to it.”

“You look a lot older,” Harry added.

“So what’s my story?” Ben asked Uma. He’d learned on the Isle that just being some guy wasn’t enough. He’d need to have an idea of how to act.

“You can pretend to be Carlos’s boyfriend or something,” Uma said, waving a hand dismissively.

Carlos went ghost white. “That’s a little much. He can just be my friend, right? Or a new recruit to your pirate crew.”

Uma shrugged, but the corner of her mouth was quirked up, like she was hiding a smile. Ben didn’t really understand what was going on. Did she know Carlos was gay? Was that why she suggested Ben pretend to be his boyfriend? Just to annoy Carlos. It seemed a little mean-spirited, even for her.

“Oh, you guys take things way too seriously. It was just a joke. Obviously you’ll be a pirate from my crew. Just act like Harry without all the hook stuff. You can be Willy. That’s a very piratey name, right?”

“Willy?” Ben asked in disbelief. “You might as well call me Dick.”

“Okay, you’re Dick. Now come on, let’s head to the island to see my mother.”

...

They journeyed through the last stretch of the woods. The grass changed into sand as they got nearer to the shore. When they came out of the forest, they saw only the ocean stretching before them.

“Are you sure this is the right way?” Carlos asked.

“It’s cloaked,” Uma explained. Her seashell glowed and a bridge unfolded across the water, shimmering with gold magic, much like the one connecting Auradon to the Isle of the Lost. She smirked. “We’re on the right path.”

“I didn’t realize your mother had access to enough magic to hide her location,” Ben said.

“She doesn’t,” Uma admitted. “I helped her. It’s a mutually beneficial deal. She helps me and my friends whenever we need something in exchange for keeping her hideout hidden.”

Ben wasn’t mad at her. She could pretend she was only doing it for the free spells, but he could see Uma cared about her mother. “Well, shall we be on our way?”

Uma led the way across the bridge, warning them to be wary of hungry piranhas that liked to jump out of the water. She pointed to two eels. “That’s Lagan and Derelict, descendants of Flotsam and Jetsam. They lead the ferry when my mother has guests, and they’re her security system. She’ll be expecting us.”

They reached the other side of the bridge that led to seemingly nowhere. Uma reached out her hand and felt the air until she gripped something and pulled aside a curtain to reveal stone cave walls.

They slipped into the cave, Uma coming in last. The bridge disappeared behind them, and she secured the curtain shut.

“Come on, she’ll be on her throne,” Uma said, gesturing for the others to follow her. She flounced through the place like she owned it, not an ounce of fear in her confident steps. The narrow stone passage opened out into a large chamber with a domed stone ceiling. The place was decorated like a palace with glittering jewels embedded in the walls.

It seemed like Ursula had traded souls in favor of jewels. A much nicer collection, to be sure. Still, Ben eyed the jewels warily. It was possible she’d found a way to transform souls into gemstones, wasn’t it?

Uma leaned against the arm of the throne. “I’m home, Mother!” she called.

Ben shot her a questioning look. “Could she be out?”

Uma rolled her eyes. “No, she just likes to make a grand entrance.”

Sure enough, trumpets blared out in a regal tune, and Ursula walked into the chamber through a stone archway. She wore a low cut black dress that showed off her voluptuous cleavage, gold seashells dangled from her ears, and she wore a necklace of pearls and gold seashell beads. Behind her trailed a queen’s blue cape made of fur and inlaid with glittering jewels.

Ben had never seen Ursula in person before, only drawings in fairytale books. The real thing could not be conveyed by mere sketches. Ursula was a work of art. She was a tall, imposing woman, with gorgeous curves and stark white hair that swirled up like ice cream. It was striking against her brown skin that shimmered with aqua body glitter. Ben felt like he was looking upon a goddess. The only thing that gave away her as a sea witch were the tentacles spilling out from under her dress.

“Greetings, my fine subjects,” she said, “and welcome to my palace of wonders.” Ursula reached her throne and gestured for the others to sit in the stools before her.

Uma huffed and sat down, arms crossed. She nodded for the boys to follow suit. Harry sat next to her. Ben mirrored Harry’s posture, elbows resting on his legs, hands folded together. Carlos took the seat on the end.

Carlos was the one who looked out of place among them. He had his feet crossed and was rubbing his hands together like he was nervous. Ben was nervous too, but he wished Carlos wouldn’t make it so obvious. He didn’t want Ursula to think she could easily take advantage of him.

“Treating my daughter right?” Ursula asked Harry, a threat behind her smile.

“Better than you ever did,” Harry replied sourly.

Ursula tapped her fingernails on the throne. Her nails were painted gold with diamond and pearl accents. “Where’s the Gaston boy?”

“He got married, remember?” Uma said.

Ursula snorted. “To that goody two shoes fairy, that’s right. I still think he would’ve been a better match for you, Uma darling. He was a fine piece of ass.”

“Mom,” Uma groaned. “Can you not talk about my friends like that?”

Ursula noticed Ben for the first time and looked him up and down, licking her lips. “Now what do we have here? He is perfectly delicious.” She batted her eyelashes at him, showing off her glimmery aqua eyeshadow. “You taken, honey?”

“Oh my gosh,” Uma said, standing up. “Do not flirt with my friends. That is where I draw the line.”

Ursula raised an eyebrow. “Ah, you care about this one. Don’t try to deny it, dear. I’ve always been able to read your emotions. You have feelings for him. Strong ones.”

Uma crossed her arms, glaring at her mother. She wouldn’t even look at Ben.

It took a moment for Ben to notice that Uma was standing a little too still, her jaw tensed. Her mother was telling the truth. Uma had feelings for him? He had noticed her flirting with him, but he’d assumed it was just to get him to trust her more.

He glanced over at Harry, but he was staring at his hands, like he’d suspected this all along. Even Carlos didn’t seem surprised by this. Everyone knew about Uma’s feelings but him. It made him feel bad, like he’d been inattentive to Uma, and he was trying to be a good friend to her now, to make up for all the difficulties he put her through in the past.

…

Carlos scooted in his seat uncomfortably. He knew Uma’s feelings for Ben might be real, but he still felt confident that Ben didn’t like her back. The complete shock on Ben’s face said he hadn’t even considered that she might like him.

He was a little surprised at how blatantly Ursula had flirted with Ben, but he couldn’t blame her. Ben looked so handsome in his disguise. It made Carlos weak in the knees just looking at him.

“I’m not here about him,” Uma said. “I’ve brought another friend with me. A werewolf.” She nodded at Carlos.

“A werewolf, eh?”

Carlos didn’t like the way Ursula was looking at him. He sat up straighter, chin raised, to show her that he wasn’t afraid of her.

“What help do you need, child?” she asked.

“I’m not a child,” Carlos shot back. “I’m eighteen.”

Ursula clicked her fingernails together. “Still so young. I have not seen many werewolves turned at your age. So you want to try and reverse the curse, is that it?”

“It’s irreversible,” Carlos said. “I was born a werewolf, but I don’t know what triggered the transformations to start. We thought that since you’re also a shapeshifter, you might know something about that. Do they start at a certain age, or…”

Ursula puckered her red-painted lips. “I could tell you the answer, but you’re not going to like it.”

“I’m ready for it,” Carlos insisted.

Ursula nodded, leaning back in her throne and spreading her cape across herself. “The first shift is triggered by trauma. Something happened, usually you were put in danger, and your body shifted so you could protect yourself.”

“But I don’t remember what happened.”

“Most people don’t, especially if it was something particularly traumatic. I can take a look through your mind and try to find the memories of your first shift.”

“Yes, please,” Carlos said, relieved Ursula was willing to help.

She leaned her chin on her hand. “For a price.”

Uma scoffed. “I built you this palace and keep you protected. What more can you want?”

“A promise from you, my dear.” Ursula gave her daughter a sweet smile. “You must promise not to harm me.”

“I wouldn’t hurt you, Mom. You know that.”

Ursula drew a glowing scroll from thin air. “I’ll need your signature, dear.”

Uma shot Carlos a nervous glance. He wanted to tell her that she didn’t have to do this. They could turn around and leave right now. But he was so close to finding out the answers he needed. He didn’t think he could turn back now, even if he wanted.

“Fine,” Uma said. She grabbed the quill from Ursula and carefully read the contract. “This makes me physically unable to use magic or weapons against you, including my own fists. Why do you need protection like this?”

The sea witch cackled. “Oh, you know me, darling. I have plans you might not agree with. This is to ensure that you don’t interfere.”

“Don’t sign it,” Ben said.

Harry smacked him in the back of the head with the base of his hook. “Don’t be giving the captain orders, you gunner. If she wants to sign it, that’s her decision.”

Carlos could tell Harry didn’t want Uma to sign the contract either, but he knew better than to argue with her. Uma was an independent woman. They had to let her make her own decisions. If she wouldn’t sign it, he’d see if he could offer Ursula something else.

Uma glanced back at her friends. Her eyes lingered on Carlos, and he could swear he saw a flicker of resentment in them. She didn’t want to sign it, but she would. Not for Carlos, though. He knew she didn’t care what happened to him. She would sign it because if Carlos learned how to control his powers, it would help Ben.

The pen scratched against the paper as Uma signed it with large strokes. The contract and the pen disappeared the moment she’d finished.

Ursula grinned wickedly. “Now there’s a good girl. I’ll need to use the necklace, dear.” She stretched out her hand.

Uma crossed her arms. “I ain’t giving it to you. I’m the one who fixed it. It’s mine now.”

Ursula rolled her eyes dramatically. “You worry too much, child. I just need it to work the magic to read the boy’s memories.”

For a moment it looked like Uma wouldn’t cooperate. Then she huffed and dropped the necklace into her mother’s eager palm.

Ursula secured the necklace around her neck so it hung above her large bosom. She slithered over to them. Carlos got an unpleasant look down her cleavage as she leaned close to examine him.

“You know I met a werewolf once. He was a delightful bastard, evil as they come.”

“Was it the Big Bad Wolf?” Carlos asked, wondering if she could be referring to his father.

“No, dear boy. I would never go near that monster.” She scoffed. “It was Dr. Wolfman. That man was obsessed with turning people into werewolves with his serum. It even worked on the Isle since it was science and not magic, but he couldn’t have werewolves running around everywhere, so he kept them in cages.”

Carlos’s eyes went wide. He’d met that man when he was interviewing his potential fathers. In fact, he’d hoped that he would turn out to be his real father. Now he was so glad that he wasn’t. He had no idea he was capable of such cruelty.

“Are they still locked up?”

“Oh, no, dear, he didn’t keep them for very long. Just until they could be sold.”

“Sold? Like slavery?” Carlos’s throat felt dry.

Ursula threw back her head, cackling. “What good would a werewolf be as a slave? No, you poor child. He’d sell them for parts. Werewolf teeth and claws were useful for crafting weapons and jewelry on the Isle. Their meat fetched an excellent price in the market, much tastier than Auradon’s spoiled leftovers. And don’t get me started on their fur. Cruella De Vil bought most of his inventory to make new fur coats.”

Carlos felt sick to his stomach. His mother had asked him to take care of her furs so many times. He’d touched the fur of dead werewolves. Carlos actually did vomit, though he managed to aim it into the vase Ursula offered him.

“This is Cruella De Vil’s son,” Uma explained to her mom.

Ursula smirked. “I’m well aware. The boy deserved to know the truth. After all, he’s here for answers, isn’t he?”

Carlos nodded. He felt tired and weak from vomiting, but he felt calm enough to get more answers. Hopefully she had started with the worst one.

Ben put a hand on his shoulder, giving him a gentle squeeze. It offered only a small bit of comfort, but Carlos was grateful nonetheless.

Ursula walked back to take her place on her throne and beckoned for Carlos to come to her. “Bring the stool, boy.”

He set the stool down where she commanded and sat upon it. Ursula put her hands on the sides of his head. She squeezed him tight and her eyes filled with a fog, like dark clouds reflecting on the ocean.

“Can you see any of my transformations?” Carlos asked.

“Yes, my boy,” she said, smiling wickedly. “A partial transformation in a fine castle room. Hm. That one was interesting. I’ve never seen a werewolf manage to stop a shift from happening. And a little further back you are fighting guards at another palace and going after a king.” 

Carlos knew about all of these. He needed to know about his first shift. “What else can you see?”

She smirked as the clouds faded from her eyes. “An old lady in a cottage.”

Carlos’s blood ran cold. He yanked himself out of her grasp, knocking the stool over. He hurriedly picked the stool up and sat back on it. “Sorry, I, please don’t…” He shook his head at her, hoping she wouldn’t say anything.

“Oh, you can’t feel guilty about that one. I would’ve killed her too.”

Carlos hunched into himself. He couldn’t bear to turn around and look at Ben. His secret was out in the open now. He put his hands to his face, the tears wetting his palms, and he felt a coldness travel through his bones. He knew he couldn’t run from this forever, but now that it was out in the open, it felt more real than before.

Ursula tilted her head, eyeing him with interest. “You regret killing her?”

“Of course,” Carlos choked out through tears. “I don’t want to be a monster.”

“My dear boy.” Ursula stood up from her throne and knelt before him, placing a clammy hand on his chin. She tilted his head so he was forced to look at her. “You’re no monster. You are a magnificent creature, Carlos De Vil. I am sorry for ever underestimating you.”

“I don’t want to hurt anyone,” he said.

“Sometimes hurting people is necessary.”

Carlos didn’t like the sound of that. “Can you see my first shift? Please, I need to know if I hurt anyone else.”

Ursula put her hands on his head, her eyes fogging over. Her red lips were fixed in a smile that shifted abruptly into a frown. She pulled her hands away from Carlos. “There’s a magical block on your memory.”

“Can you do something about it?”

“Perhaps, but it would take some time. You shouldn’t be so afraid of yourself, Carlos. You should embrace your abilities. I can see your power now and your strength. It is far greater than you could imagine. You should foster those talents. I would be happy to show you the way.”

Carlos shook his head. “I can’t stay here.”

“Why not? You would live in a palace, eat the finest seafood, and be protected from those who would wish to harm you. Like King Arthur. I could work on unraveling the block on your memory and teach you how to gain control during your shifts. You would be safe here, I promise.”

Carlos looked into her eyes. He saw her sincerity, her willingness to help, but he also saw her greed. She wanted him for some dark purpose, to use him to further her goals. It wasn’t about helping him. He knew that, and yet he was tempted to accept her offer. At least if he stayed here, he wouldn’t be able to hurt anyone. He could learn all the things he needed to know to control himself and eventually find out what happened that first night he shifted.

“Carlos, don’t even think about it,” Ben said, desperation to his voice.

“I haven’t decided yet,” Carlos admitted. He still couldn’t look at Ben.

“Come back with us. You can stay with me. I don’t care that you killed someone. You were a wolf. You weren’t in your right mind. It’s okay, Carlos.”

“Ugly’s right,” Harry said, his voice gravelly. “I don’t blame you for what happened either. But you can’t stay here with this sea witch. She’ll use you like she does to everybody.”

Carlos stood up and finally looked at Ben and Harry. They both looked earnest, the love obvious in their eyes. Even after Ben learned what he did, he still cared for him, and Harry was as loyal as ever. It filled his heart with a warmth he didn’t deserve.

He didn’t deserve either of them. Not a monster like him. He’d made up his mind. “I’m going to leave with my friends,” he told Ursula.

No matter how much Carlos wanted answers, he couldn’t stay with Ursula. She would train him to have control and then use him against Ben. Uma had already admitted outright that her mother was plotting against Auradon. He wasn’t going to take that risk.

Ursula sighed, looking disappointed. “Very well, then.”

“Okay, so we’re done here,” Uma said. She held out her hand. “Necklace. You promised.”

“I did no such thing,” Ursula said, smirking.

Uma made a grab for the necklace, but an invisible forcefield blasted her backwards.

“I thought I taught you better than this,” Ursula said. The contract shimmered into existence in front of Uma. “Read the fine print, honey. You can’t touch me.”

This was all about the necklace. Why hadn’t they figured that out sooner? Ursula lifted her hands and seaweed snaked around Uma, pinning her to the ground.

Carlos could feel that they were under attack. Uma couldn’t use any magic against Ursula because of that stupid contract, and they would need magic to defeat her. There was only one way they made it out of this. Carlos needed to transform. He was being threatened. It should happen now, to protect himself, but his body didn’t change.

He thought back to Ursula’s words, and his mind got caught on one word. Trauma. That didn’t necessarily mean a disturbing event. Trauma also meant a physical injury, something more serious than a sliced hand for a spell. Something like hitting your head on hot metal, or a guard’s sword cutting your shoulder when you tried to fight back. He remembered the cuts he’d woken up with after the first time he transformed. That was the link.

Carlos looked around to see Harry and Ben had been pinned against the wall with seaweed. It twisted around their ankles, wrists, and throats.

There wasn’t a lot of time to decide. He needed to do this. Almost on instinct, Carlos picked up a seashell from the ground and sliced his arm with its jagged edge. His hands shifted into claws, and his body lowered to the ground until he felt fur everywhere. He fought to hold onto his humanity, to keep his mind so he could focus on attacking Ursula and not his friends.

But Carlos didn’t have the training. And pure will wasn’t enough. He felt himself slip away into nothingness as the wolf took over.

…

Ben watched, eyes wide in horror, as Carlos shifted into a wolf. He pawed at the ground, snarling menacingly, and circled Ursula.

The sea witch didn’t seem all that threatened. “You think I’ve never dealt with a werewolf before?” She held up her glowing seashell necklace. “Sit,” she commanded.

Carlos did not. He leapt for her, teeth going straight for her throat.

Ben closed his eyes, not wanting to see the carnage. He waited for Ursula’s dying scream, but all he heard was Ursula yelling, “Give that back, you mongrel.”

He opened his eyes to see that Carlos had the seashell necklace in his mouth between his sharp teeth and was racing across the room to Ben. He dropped the necklace at Ben’s feet. It was then Ben noticed the seaweed trapping him had fallen away. All of them were free as Ursula’s spells faded. She couldn’t maintain them without the necklace.

He picked up the necklace, hesitant. Ursula and Uma were both running towards him.

“Stop,” Ben commanded, tightening his fist. “Or I’ll crush it.”

They both halted.

“I know you’re King Ben,” Ursula snarled. “Uma disguised you well, but I saw you all over the boy’s memories. You’re a kind and just king. You wouldn’t destroy a necklace that holds great power.”

“Oh but he would,” Uma said. She gave him a small nod, permission to crush it rather than let it get into Ursula’s hands again.

Ursula held up her hand and thrust it towards Ben. A magical arrow sprung from her wrist. Too fast for Uma to stop. Too fast for Ben to move out of the way.

Carlos tackled Ben to the ground, and the arrow narrowly missed his ear. He heard it whiz by and explode against the wall. Dust clouded his vision for a moment.

His heart was pounding in his chest. He looked down his body to Carlos’s wolf form, relieved to have been saved, only to notice that Carlos’s claws had dug into Ben’s stomach when he tackled him and ripped into his skin.

Four gashes about five inches long.

Ben didn’t have time to think about the pain. He needed to act and fast. He was a sitting duck, and he was certain Ursula’s next arrow wouldn’t miss. If he didn’t want to be blown to smithereens, he needed to do something. Anything. Breaking the shell wouldn’t be enough. Not when she could do magic like that.

He didn’t know what possessed him to do it, or why he thought it would work, but he slipped the necklace around Carlos’s neck. Carlos’s wolf eyes glowed gold and there was an explosion of light all around. Ben caught sight of Ursula fleeing, shifting into her Cecaelia form and shrinking so she could fit through a crack in the wall.

Uma lay on the ground, Harry shielding her body from the blast.

The light faded, and Ben blinked away the phantom spots that lingered. The room looked like a bomb had gone off inside of it. Crushed jewels littered the floor, and the stone throne was cracked in half.

He reached for Carlos and was surprised to find that the wolf didn’t shy away from his touch. He pulled the necklace off Carlos’s head.

Ben gripped his stomach, holding in the pain as he walked over to Uma. “I believe this belongs to you.” He handed it to her.

She took it gratefully and put it around her neck, tucking it underneath her shirt. “We need to get out of here in case my mother comes back. I’m so sorry, Ben. I didn’t think she would attack us. She’s helped my other friends before.”

“Your other friends were pirates, not kings,” Harry commented.

Uma sighed. “I should have known she’d find out who you were by looking through Carlos’s memories. And I should never have signed that contract. I could have bargained for something else she wanted.”

“She wouldn’t have agreed to anything else,” Harry said. “You know her, once she’s got her mind set on something, that’s all she wants. She was after the necklace this whole time.”

Uma glanced over at Carlos. “What do we do about him?”

Ben smiled. “We just walk out of here, and he will follow us.”

Ben’s hunch was right. Carlos followed them like a loyal puppy. They walked across the magical bridge. Ben could see Ursula’s island now. It was no longer shrouded by magic.

Uma shrugged. “She broke her end of the deal. I don’t owe her anything anymore.”

“Do you think she’ll try to hurt you again?”

Uma grinned. “She’ll never catch me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love this chapter so much. Big secrets are out in the open, Ben's got a new look, and Carlos uses magic for the first time!!
> 
> Would love to hear thoughts on the chapter, thanks. <3


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